Symphony of the Damned II: Darkness Ascending
by Archon's Voice
Summary: Warning: Significantly AU. Three years have passed since Shepard disappeared and the galaxy has been content to ignore the threat facing it. Separated, Shepard and Miranda must fight to prevent what is to come but is it already too late?
1. Chapter 1

From the Author:

Regrettably this is not the ending that has been, dare I say, long awaited. Rather this is a farewell both to the readers and the story. Closure for me, as the author, and rebirth for some of the characters. In the interests of style I will explain both my reasoning for ending this story unfinished as well as what I have left behind and what will become of the story.

This is not a decision to give up writing but rather to redirect up a more useful and productive avenue. Fan-fiction is a wonderful gateway to writing but it remains a gateway and not a terminus. I have reached a point in my life where I feel that my writing must leave behind its origins and strike out on a new and more original path. In short I want my concepts and my characters to belong to me and only me and not to exist in the murky world of belong to both me and a universe owned by someone else. To that end I have decided to leave behind Symphony of the Damned as it stands – part of Bioware's Mass Effect Universe. Certain elements I intend to salvage for my future creative work such as Sira(my hands down favourite character) and elements of Emma. From that point I intend to continue to write and create a vision that is closer to my own creative goals.

In terms of the story itself I will offer two things to you - the reader. I will offer you what I have written of the second book, one chapter of Miranda's narrative, and several chapters of the third book. They are all in a rough and unfinished form so you'll have to excuse the grammar, missed words and spelling errors. The second thing I will offer is a summary of the conclusion of the second book and a brief summation of the broad strokes of the third and four books as I had envisaged them. With any offer there comes a cost and the cost is that I reserve the exclusive right to remove these stories at any time. Also I would personally find any derivative works or continuations of this story by other authors to be extremely painful and disrespectful. Please do not take my work and continue it.

On that unfortunate note I will bid you au revoir for with a bit of luck we will meet again in another story.

_The Summary of the Ending of Book II and of Books III and IV._

Book II was always intended to be the dark second act of the series and was intended to have Emma come completely unmoored from her identity. With the loss of her lover and the revelation that her existence was planned by the same being responsible for countless genocides I intended for Emma to become withdrawn to the point of catatonia. The story, told from Miranda's point of view, would involve the final successful assault on the Maelstrom but the victory would be bittersweet. Shortly after winning Miranda would find that her victory was impeccably timed to coincide with the return of the Reapers. Shortly thereafter it would be revealed that Emma had languished as the Maelstrom's central intelligence for the past two years. By the time Miranda rescued her she would be nothing but a husk of her former self.

With only Sira to rely on Miranda would lead the last stand against the Reapers in a climactic battle around the Maelstorm. At the ultimate moment when victory would seem to be within her grasp she would be betrayed. Sira, being at her core a construct of Archon, would take that moment to incapacitate Emma and murder Miranda. A bitter pill for Sira to swallow since her love of Miranda was genuine but her programming trumped her emotions. The story would end with Sira completing Archon's grand plan and sending Emma's mind back to the origins of the Hermasi species – or so it would appear.

Book III would pick up on Eden Prime at the beginning of the Mass Effect Trilogy with events about to take a turn for the better. As the younger version of Emma approaches the beacon it will turn out that her older and more jaded self has not gone back uncountable eons but has merely traveled a few short years. The assumption being that Sira finally broke her programming to give Emma a second chance. Given that the elder Emma is a disembodied mind and that she is a much harder version of her younger self she uses the events surrounding the beacon to seize her younger self's body and overwrites her consciousness. In possession of both a new body and a second chance Emma is poised to stop the Reapers once more but can she overcome her own fears and fragilities?

Book III would continue with a cat and mouse game between the Emma, who is desperate to insure that the successful outcome of her encounter with Sovereign still comes to pass, and her crew mates who find her to be exceedingly eccentric and possessed of an inhuman knowledge of events that haven't happened. Particularly painfully for Emma would be her reunion with Liara. Alternating between the pain of having to see Liara again and Emma's desire to protect her by preventing the development of a relationship will stress Emma to the breaking point. Eventually Emma breaks down during one of the missions and reveals what she really is to Liara.

After being pursued by Sovereign, being shipwrecked and escaping a system filled with the remnants of the one species that successfully resisted the Reapers(by becoming exactly like them) the entire crew soon becomes aware of Emma's true nature. She is rejected by the humans yet embraced by the non-human members of her crew. Her human crewmates decide to turn her over to the council as a potential traitor but Emma manages to stage an escape from the Normandy along with some of the non-humans. Returning to the only resource she has left Emma returns to the Voice of Memory and restores Sira to existence once more. An exile - Emma turns her back on her heritage as the only way to save it. Taking the Voice of Memory she uses it to sabotage the conduit on Ilum forcing Sovereign to make a direct assault on the Citadel. Taking part in the final moments of the fleet action Emma is able to destroy Sovereign and escape in the ensuing chaos.

Cut to Book IV wherein Emma has used her knowledge, technology and charisma to carve out an Empire behind the Perseus Veil. Reconciling the quarians and the Geth, rescuing the trapped survivors of Tartarus and discovering several other races behind the veil Emma has a power base. Waging a cold war with the council she uses the tensions to create an arms race all to the one end of preparing the galaxy for the return of the Reapers. Unfortunately like all cold wars there are intrigues and casualties and it takes much of Emma's skill to manage the conflict. In the final conflict with the Reapers Emma's forces are able to triumph largely on their own leaving her the Empress of a militarized collection of states poised to conquer the rest of the galaxy. Before dying at Emma's hand Archon gloatingly acknowledges her pride in her daughter – calling her a worthy successor to rule the galaxy. Where Emma will take the galaxy is anyone's guess.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter I: The Twilight of Heroes

2200 Hours Local Time

Prospero

Bekenstein

The public face of Bekenstein was Milgrom - the capital city - but to natives of the planet or those with the right connections Prospero was the place to find what you needed. The origin of the city's was unknown but it was known for being a place where dreams and reality intersected. With the impossibly high towers of the city and the luxurious estates on its outskirts the city itself looked like something out of a dream dream. It was constantly glittering with light and life like the synapses of the mind. The dream of Prospero tended to attract aspiring businesspeople and their ilk to the city and some even succeeded in seizing hold of their dreams. Those that didn't found that every dream is accompanied by its mirror opposite: a nightmare.

Below the towers of steel and glass and below the glittering lights lay the dark foundations of Prospero. It was a world of decay and darkness. The belief propagated by the Alliance was that only the rich lived on Bekenstein while the poor and the failures moved on to greener pastures. The reality was that the dream of Bekenstein was founded on the nightmarish undercities of Prospero, Milgrom and their like. In places such as those lives were cheap, murders common, and nothing was forbidden. The undercity was where one went to find the various purveyors of dreams. Often the dreams would come in the form of pleasures of the flesh in a variety of packages. Sometimes the pleasure came from information. Prospero had its fair share of information dealers but few were as illusive as the ones that made their bases in the darker corners of the undercity. The location tended to discourage most patrons leaving only the most desperate to actually seek them out.

In one such alleyway at first glance such a desperate looking individual was making her way towards just such an establishment. To the denizens of the underworld she looked like one of the wayward surface dwellers wafted down to the undercity on one of the city's many down drafts. Some of the more dangerous elements viewed her as easy pickings as she threaded her way between the piles of refuse both organic and inorganic towards her destination. In one of the numerous alleyways that made up the under city a sextet of grizzled thugs decided to make their move.

A ragged group emerged from the wafting clouds of vapour that pervaded the undercity to block the woman's path. They were clad in the tattered remnants of clothing and clutched their makeshift weapons with a desperation born of long occupancy in the undercity. The second trio of equally ragged and desperate thugs took up position to cut off all escape back down the alley. The woman skidded to halt her voluminous coat flaring momentarily before settling. A hood obscured much of the woman's face but despite the murk of the undercity the glint of an eye could be perceived under it. A hint of brown hair drifted out from under the hood before disappearing once more.

"Well lady it looks like you picked the wrong alley to detour down." The de facto leader of the thugs laughed.

"Oh?" The woman inquired innocently.

"Now if you're lucky and real nice to the boys and me you might actually be walking out of here at the end of the night." The leader threatened with a crooked leer.

"As tempting as you think that offer maybe I am afraid I must decline." The woman replied gently. Her voice was rich and melodious while containing a subtle hint of darkness. It had all the makings of the voice of a predator.

"That wasn't an offer." The leader growled as he advanced towards the still woman standing before him. As he drew nearer he stopped suddenly as though transfixed. The rest of his gang stared incredulously wondering why he had stopped. The answer to their question was brutal and terrifying. The leader dropped to his knees moments after stopping. The impact of the drop was sufficient to cause his severed head to fall from its perch and onto the dirty ground of the alley. As the rest of the mercenaries gaped in shock the woman began to glow with the customary corona of a biotic. With a sudden throw the two remaining mercenaries in front of her were thrown into the wall of the alley. The crunches of their impacts informed her that they were mostly likely dead. Spinning she confronted the mercenaries behind her with the barrel of a compact SMG. It was the last thing they ever saw.

Alone once more the woman holstered her SMG before sheathing the blade in her opposite hand. Without a second glance she continued on towards her destination leaving the six corpses behind. Life was, after all, cheap in the undercity.

Her destination was only a short way off from the site of her fight. The location was a rather rundown shipping firm which had built its office directly into the base of one of the towers that made up the upper city. The woman proceeded through the doorway and into the spartan interior of the shipping firm. Like most businesses in the undercity it had seen better days. The front end of the office was completely devoid of any type of furnishings save for a pair of security mechs. There was a single door on the opposite side of the room through which one might actually interact with another human being. The woman confidently proceeded towards the mechs and the door.

"State purpose!" One mech ordered.

"I'm here to see the information broker." The woman replied confidently.

"Error! This is not the office of an information broker. Please leave."

"I suppose if that doesn't answer then how about this? Access code A9B4." The woman sighed.

"Access granted. Have a pleasant day."

The door before her swished open as the mechs resumed their vigil over the empty room. The woman continued into the deserted offices of the faux business. She had expected as much. It was merely a front through which on could gain access to the information broker. The woman clearly knew the layout as she stalked towards an office door which looked no different than a dozen others ringing the perimeter of the office. At her arrival the door whisked open for her to reveal a modern and relatively luxurious elevator which seemed totally out of keeping with the dilapidated appearance of the office. As she stepped in the door slammed shut behind her and the elevator began to ascend. She could tell that it was moving at an impressive speed the slight downward pressure that wasn't cancelled out by the elevator's inertial damper. Moments later the car reached its destination and the door opened onto a sumptuous office. The dominant feature of the office was the enormous window which gave a view of the glittering lights and towers of Prospero. It was clear that she was now in one of the upper levels of the many towers that made up the Prospero skyline. The sky itself was a deep black making the contrast between buildings and sky all the more impressive. Momentarily taken in by the view the woman stepped out of the elevator and into office. The soft snick of metal on metal let her know that she had company.

"Who sent you?" The other hissed.

"From the sound of the action and the safety I'm guessing that I have an M7 pistol pointed squarely at my head right now." The woman replied, totally nonplussed by the turn of events.

"Correct. Now tell me who sent you!" Her companion snarled clearly irked by the carefree disposition of her unwelcome guest.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." The woman replied quietly. "To head off your next thought, shooting me would be a very grave mistake. First, it would make a terrible mess of both your office and your life. Second, it would do little to affect the cause I represent and finally it would probably mean that you would never see your sister again."

"Who are you?"

"You can call me Juno and the pleasure is all mine Miranda." The woman replied smugly as she turned to face Miranda.

Miranda shook her head irritably before lowering her pistol. As Juno lowered her hood she got her first good look at Miranda. The onetime Cerberus Officer turned information broker was looking stunning despite obviously being caught in the middle of going to bed. Her raven her cascaded, unfettered, down over her shoulders. Her cold grey eyes were alive with suspicion as she clutched the kimono that she had hastily thrown on tighter around her form. The pistol was still tightly gripped in her hand despite being pointed at the ground.

"So how do you know so much about me?" Miranda asked breaking the silence that had descended over the office. "Breaking into my office isn't exactly easy. You had to pass through several sets of sensors and have your Omni tool programmed to give the right codes at random intervals. It's all very impressive."

"Which begs the question of what I want from you?" Juno concluded, finishing Miranda's thought. "I'll begin with what I can do for you, move on to what I'll do to you if you don't co-operate and then conclude with what I want you to do for me."

"That sounds long and tedious. Why don't you just threaten me and have done with it." Miranda grumbled as she stalked around her desk and settled into her chair. Juno silently materialized in the seat opposite her.

"Life is about nuance Miranda. If I simply threatened you you would hate me. If I offered something to you without a price you would resent my charity and suspect my motives. If I gave you a job to do you would wonder at my reasons and my allegiances. Better to give you all three at once and to watch the synergy." Juno confided.

"I don't like cryptic comments."

"I know. That is precisely why I'm doing it. You're at my mercy Miranda and you don't even know it yet. You've carefully constructed a world around you. In reality it's a wall to keep the world away from you. You took on a new identity a new profession and quietly built up an empire to rival Cerberus. I even hear that you've done the odd bit of business with the Shadow Broker. If you want I can give you a detailed rundown on your business, the laws you've broken, people you've had eliminated, the location of your associates." Juno paused and considered Miranda for a moment. "It would make an interesting read for your old employer or any law enforcement officer for that matter."

"So that's the threat. I've heard that one before." Miranda mocked.

"See that's where you misunderstand. I just told you what I can do for you." Juno answered, savouring the other woman's confusion. "I will keep all of this from happening, allowing you to continue with your life. To continue your quasi-existence in a bubble of meaningless information. To my mind this is a far worse threat than any other I could construct. Moving on to what I can do to you. I can take you out of this life. I can find your sister and reunite you. I can help you to find the meaning and purpose that your life has been lacking these past two years. I can also help you finish what you set out to do. That is what I can do to you."

"So what do you want?"

Juno leaned back and laughed softly.

"What do I want?" She asked rhetorically. "It has been so long since that question had any sort of meaning to me. What I'm supposed to want from you is for you to assist me in a small audition."

"Audition?" Miranda queried in confusion.

"We want a demonstration of your capabilities and resources. In order to facilitate this I will be accompanying you and providing whatever financial backing you might need." Juno explained.

"What's the target?" Miranda asked her businesslike demeanour making itself felt.

"The actual target is a data cache of navigation information and intelligence dossiers. Before you ask, I'm not telling you precisely what is in the cache until I have it in my possession." Juno explained.

"Fair enough." Miranda conceded.

"The cache is located on Noveria in the Cord-Hislop R&D facility."

Miranda seemed to stiffen at this revelation. "You want me to infiltrate a Cerberus front to steal their intelligence."

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes." Miranda retorted angrily. "I may not be Cerberus and I may not even like Cerberus anymore but I know enough not to draw their attention. I leave them alone and they leave me alone."

"You might think that was the case but the Illusive Man was never one for the live and let live approach. The only reason that you haven't been murdered in your sleep is because you did too good a job of hiding yourself away."

"So he's still after me." Miranda snorted. "That seems like a good reason to stay out of Cerberus' way."

"Were you always this cowardly or is this a new development? Is it because you failed Shepard? Is it because you ran away and hid when the going got tough?" Juno taunted.

Miranda went white with rage and flew to her feet. "Get out. Now."

Juno stood and dusted herself off. "You may want to hate me Miranda but deep down you know what I'm saying is the truth."

With that closing comment Juno turned and left the way she had come.

For several moments Miranda simply stood and stared at the closed elevator. She dismissively tossed her pistol onto the dark surface of her desk before sitting back down. Eventually Miranda let out a whispering sigh of irritation. Her mysterious guest had known every button to press to irritate her. Worse still Juno seemed to know things that no-one should have known about her.

_She is a quiet threat Miranda._ A familiar voice whispered across her mind. _One must always be careful of the quiet threats._

Miranda rubbed her temples in irritation at Persephone's comments.

"I thought we had left all this behind us. Shepard must have stopped the Reapers. She must have." Miranda murmured.

_Is that what you believe or what you want to believe?_

Miranda paused and considered for a moment. "You know me too well Persephone for me to even think of lying to you."

_Juno played her hand well and she was able to press some very painful buttons._ Persephone consoled. _She is a mystery and we must find out all we can about her._

"Do you think that she's one of them?" Miranda asked.

_She has many of the signs of being one of them. She knows too much about us to let her __go on her way unexamined. She also promises too much for us not to follow up on her offer_.

"She didn't promise you anything." Miranda added, slightly annoyed.

_Oriana may not really be my sister but living inside your head blurs the lines Miranda. I feel like she is part of my family._ Persphone shot back reproachfully.

"I'm sorry. I let my mouth get the better of me." Miranda apologized.

_There is no need to apologize Miranda. Get some rest. I suspect that we are on the cusp of a new beginning_.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter II: Looking into the Abyss

_Resha- noun; 1. A survivor of a terrible accident, 2. A fallen angel 3. Trouble._

_-From the Erebus Compendium_

Location: Unknown

Time: Unknown

In an otherwise featureless ocean of dark sky something changed. A single pin prick of white appeared against the dark background of the sky. The mote of light gradually began to grow until it resembled a small star. A rumbling roar began to grow in the peaceful night until it was almost deafening. Moments after the tranquility of the night was shattered the falling star came howling down from the sky trailing a wake of flames and debris. It was impossible to tell exactly what the descending object was but it was quite small. With a thunderous explosion the falling star tore into the surface of the planet. It seemed impossible that anything could have survived such an impact.

The planet which had just served as the falling star's landing site was not uninhabited. In fact quite the opposite was true. Two groups of inhabitants were close enough to witness the fiery event. The first group was made up of what one might have guessed to be organics though it would have been a challenge to tell. The members of the group were all swaddled in thick protective gear coupled with long flowing coats designed to safeguard their bodies' warmth. Their faces were obscured by mask like rebreathers. Two of the small group clutched long needle-like rifles while their other two compatriots shouldered large sacks of salvage. They were more importantly the first group on the scene of the crash.

Contrary to initial impressions the fallen star had survived its impact but had hewn a long gash in the surface of the planet before coming to rest in the side of a hillock. Given that the area was mostly barren greyish desert little damaged had been done to the landscape. Chunks of burning debris were scattered throughout the area casting dancing shadows over the scene. As the salvagers attempted to decide the best route through the debris to the main crash site the smouldering ruin of the fallen star shook. The salvagers stopped their silent debate and stared at the cylindrical object. As they watched a portion of the object's hull was sent rocketing away by a set of explosive bolts. Following behind the jettisoned hatch was a small figure. The figure managed to haul itself out of the pod and stagger a short distance from the pod before collapsing facedown in the dust. The appearance of a survivor spurred the salvagers into action. The group rushed from the dune that they had been using as a vantage point towards the now inert survivor. Moments later they were upon the lone survivor. Only the survivor's back and a hint of red hair were visible making it impossible to tell whether or not the recent arrival was still alive. With a dismissive gesture one of the salvagers dug his toe under the still form and rolled her over. It seemed as though they had been too late. The woman before them was quite still and her injuries were extensive. Her clothing was burnt and those parts not burnt were coated in soot and grease. What had once been red hair was now a blackish colour from the smoke and oil that had been the by-product of the crash. The survivor's unprotected face would once have been described as being beautiful but was now scarred by burns and bruises. It was a miracle that the survivor had made as far as she had.

One of the salvagers made a silent disgusted gesture before addressing himself to now cooling debris. The other two moved off to join him. The final salvager, now ignored, knelt down to get a closer look at the dead woman in front of her. Reaching out a careful hand the salvager smoothed the woman's hair to the sides before moving her hand to close the corpse's still open green eyes. After she had done so she bowed her head as though reciting a prayer. The salvager was about to rise when she noticed something. The corpse's eyes were open once more and they were looking at her.

The salvager screamed.

The still living survivor echoed her moments later.

Hovering a space between life and death the survivor was drowned in memories and hallucinations of lives that did not seem to be her own. At one point someone was calling a name that seemed to belong to her. As her bruised mind attempted to comprehend what the person calling her name was saying she became aware of an inky blackness. The mass itself was composed of countless memories like her own and was actually reaching out towards her. As she attempted to run away the mass effortlessly matched her speed and proceeded to close the gap. A sinuous tendril snapped at her causing her to trip and fall. Her new position allowed her a glimpse of a spot of light far on the horizon. Somehow she knew that this spot of light was a means of escape. With renewed determination she clambered to her feet and began to run once more. Once again the darkness tripped her only this time it painfully dragged her back to her previous position. Every time she rose to her feet the darkness would allow her to make a small amount of progress towards the light before dragging her back to where she started. After several tries she simply gave up. The struggle was too pointless and too exhausting for her to continue. Sensing her weakness the darkness moved forward to envelop her. A deep feeling of cold pervaded every cell of her body as she was enveloped in the dark mass. As she attempted to breath the darkness forced its way into her lungs suffocating her.

With a cry of panic the survivor came awake. Struggling to free herself from the bedclothes the survivor found herself being forced back onto the bed. A soft soothing voice murmured words that she was unable to comprehend. The grip of the nightmare was too strong and the survivor was unwilling to allow herself to be lulled back to sleep. As she struggled with the other person a cold weight began to creep through her veins causing her extremities to gradually begin to lose feeling. Several moments later her already foggy vision began to dissolve into blackness. This time she didn't dream.

An eternity later the survivor awoke once more. She blinked several times and found her vision to be surprisingly clear. She was staring up at a metal ceiling. Pushing herself upwards the survivor was pleased to find her muscles answering her commands properly. The room around her was tiny and had seen better days. The walls were made of a brown metal and were unadorned save for a few shelves cluttered with bottles and instruments. Her bed was little more than a cot with a blue blanket arranged to cover her form.

"Take it easy." A soft voice murmured from nearby.

Startled, the survivor glanced to her side to find that she was not alone. Her companion was somehow very familiar and yet very strange at the same time. The other woman had pale alabaster skin and a very slim frame. Her face was narrow and yet despite this very calming. A mass of short indigo dreadlocks took the place of her hair. A pair of reddish brown eyes were staring at back at her expectantly.

"How are you feeling?" The other woman asked softly. Her voice had a lyrical metre which the shell-shocked survivor found quite soothing.

When the survivor tried to answer her companion all that came out was a croak. Realizing what was wrong her companion took a glass of fluid from a nearby table and guided it to the survivor's lips. Taking a few sips the survivor nodded her head in thanks before trying to speak once again.

"I don't know. Better I suppose." The survivor spoke hesitantly as though trying her vocal cords for the first time.

Her companion smiled back warmly. "I'm glad to see that you can talk. Some of the reshas we pick up are mute."

"Reshas?" The survivor asked.

"It didn't translate did it?" Her companion asked before giving her an apologetic smile. "Reshas means falling stars. Tell me, what do you remember?"

The survivor paused for a several moments, her brow deeply furrowed. A pained expression came to rest on her face.

"I can't remember anything." The survivor said. Realizing what she had just said her expression became terrified. "I can't remember anything!"

"It's alright." Her companion interrupted softly but firmly. "Focus on me and don't think about it. What's your name?"

"Emma." The survivor replied automatically.

"See you still have all your memories it's just that some are locked away. They'll come back in time." Her companion replied her demeanour brightening. "I'm Sedna."

"Sedna?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"Yes. I was the one who found you." Sedna answered warmly.

"Found me?"

"I found you in a wrecked sky ship. I thought you were dead when I first saw you but then you opened your eyes." Sedna recounted. "We dragged you back to the ship and I've been working to patch you up ever since."

"Where am I?" Emma asked worriedly.

"You're in the apothek, our infirmary."

"What planet is this?" Emma clarified.

"Well we call it Erebus. It's not much of a place to live. It's always dark and there are huge deserts. The glowing forests are something to see though." Sedna reminisced before realizing that her companion was staring at her goggle eyed. "I keep forgetting that this is all new to you. Where do you want me to start?"

"How do I leave?" Emma asked simply before evening knowing what she said.

Sedna was silent as she stared back at Emma with a pained expression. "Why did you have to ask that question first?" Sedna sighed. She held up a hand to stifle Emma's next words. "Erebus is home to you now Emma. No one ever leaves. In a way the amnesia is a blessing. It makes it easier to accept this."

"I'm sorry." Emma apologized recognizing the pained undertone in Sedna's voice. "This must be painful for you."

Sedna gave her a reassuring look in return. "It's only painful because I asked the same question."

"You were a resha?"

"I was not so long ago." Sedna replied wistfully before changing the subject. "So we were talking your home and you were going to ask me a few questions."

"I suppose I was." Emma answered the relief at the change of topic evident in her voice. "You mentioned that there isn't any light here. Is it like that all the time?"

"In theory Erebus is a rogue planet. It orbits no sun and we never have been able to see any stars. The only break from the darkness is what we call nebula rise. Every day at a different time the most beautiful lights you've ever seen ascend into the heavens. An astronomer from Malagus said that the lights were from a nearby nebula. Folk wisdom says that seeing it rise and set is good luck."

"What about the people on this planet? You mentioned a place named Malagus?" Emma prodded.

"We're a mixed grouping. There are probably a few million of us scattered across the planet in various cities like Malagus." Sedna responded reservedly. "There are so many different species and mixtures of species that caring for them can be difficult. You for example are of a species that I've never seen before."

"I am?" Emma asked in surprise.

"I don't even know how to classify you. The truth is that you healed yourself. I've never seen anything quite like it." Sedna conceded. "You have these implants that I've never seen before throughout your body."

"The implants are based on nanotechnology. They allowed me to interface ..." Emma trailed off as a series of distorted images played across her mind's eye before dancing away out of reach.

"Emma?" Sedna asked worriedly. "You just phased out for a moment. Was it a memory?"

"I saw something. Images." Emma shook her head in confusion as she tried to remember what she had seen. The more she tried to remember the more difficult it became.

"Let it go Emma." Sedna cautioned. "People who try to remember too much become lost."

Emma let out a sigh before letting the memories disappear into the foggy ether that used to be her memory. The images had been so frustratingly close. Worse, words and memories would leap unbidden to her mouth and mind as though they belonged there and yet she had no idea where they came from. Her concerned look had not gone unnoticed by Sedan who placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You should probably get some rest. You've been through a lot and you're only just starting to bounce back."

Emma gave her wane look and a nod. For the moment she was completely dependent on Sedna. Part of her wanted to trust Sedna but another part embedded deep in her denied memories warned her to be cautious. As Emma eased herself back down into the cot Sedna carefully settled the blanket over her.

"I'll be here if you need me."

Nestled into the bed it seemed easier to accept her new situation. With a sense of peace Emma drifted off to sleep once more.

Groggily blinking her eyes open Emma found only darkness awaiting her. The terror of being trapped in another dream stole over her and scrabbled into a sitting position. To one side a thing sliver of light poured through a partially open hatchway. The rest of the room was dark and devoid of Sedna's presence. As Emma got her heartbeat and her fear under control she became aware of voices. All she could hear was an urgent murmur but it sounded like an argument. While part of her argued that she should stay put and respect her host's privacy another more strident part rudely shoved her out of the bed, intent on discovering what the conversation was about. Suppressing a hiss of pain Emma eased her bare feet onto the cold decking. She awkwardly managed to lever herself into a standing position. Three wobbly steps had her standing near the partially open metal hatch. The words were clearer now. On voice belonged to Sedna while the other was unknown to her.

"You can't go barging in there and interrogating her!" Sedna hissed angrily. "She's in a very sensitive state."

"Sensitivity be damned. That's your problem Apothecary." The second voice growled back. "We need to know what she remembers and whether or not we've hauled more deadweight on board."

"More deadweight?" Sedna snarled back. "Are you implying that I'm deadweight?"

"You said it not me." The second voice ribbed. "That woman in there could be a threat. You said it yourself, she's in stage four. She should be out there running around with..." The voice paused although Emma could detect the shudder. "Them."

"She's not like that. She's lost and alone and you want to throw her out there." Sedna shot back her ire becoming more palpable.

"There isn't any room for lost and alone here. You buck her up anyway you have to. I want her off at the next stop or so help me she'll be in the bilge in pieces."

"And if the Autarch wants to keep her on the crew?" Sedna asked venomously.

"No!" The second voice practically gasped. "He couldn't. She can't take her away from me."

"So that's what worries you so much." Sedna whispered.

"Don't you dare try and take me apart to see how I work apothecary." The second voice spat. The second voice paused for a second as though realizing something. "You've taken a shine to her haven't you? Isn't that sweet. You want someone to warm your bed at night don't you?"

"You foul mouthed ..."

"Reshas have to stick together don't they." The second voice mocked. "You know what? I'll make sure she gets kept. It'll be my personal mission."

"Don't you dare do that to her!"

"You forget yourself apothecary!" The second voice reprimanded. "I am the second and you are my subordinate. You get to keep your pet. I'll make sure that she feels welcome and that she fits in. I'll even make sure to set the two of you up. Every moment the two of you are together you'll be wondering when she's going to turn. I'll be the one making sure it happens."

"You couldn't. You won't!" Sedna gasped, her voice thick with emotion.

"I can and I will. Good night apothecary."

With a slam of a hatch the second voice departed. A thud of someone sitting down heavily came from the other room. In her room Emma slow slid down the wall she had been leaning against. She quietly wrapped her arms around her legs and sat there. The things she had heard were enough to cause her anxiety. Sedna's opponent had as much as implied that she had more than a professional interest in Emma's wellbeing. Worse it seemed that the other party had an interest in making Emma suffer to get at Sedna. She couldn't help but wonder how she had been caught up in the situation. A grim realization began to creep over Emma. She was now trapped in the other party's scheme. If she didn't at least put on the pretext of being interested in Sedna the other would see to it that she ended up dead or worse. For some reason the notion of having a relationship with Sedna sent pangs of guilt through Emma. Examining the feeling led to a curious sense of loss with no appreciable cause. Cursing her lost memories Emma hastened back to her cot. She wouldn't be able to sleep but letting Sedna know what she knew would be giving away her only advantage. As she lay back down Emma resolved that the least she could do would be to help Sedna out of her situation. It would be a step towards repaying her kindness.

The feeling of guilt that had plagued Emma had had a cause which would have been explained had Emma been awake at the time of her rescue. Unfortunately shortly after seeing Sedna for the first time Emma had once again lapsed into unconsciousness. After Sedna had screamed and Emma had answered her another sound pierced the stillness of the night. It was the sound of the second group's approach. An ululating howl had begun to resonate across the barren desert. As the salvagers began to rush back the way they had come Sedna had hefted Emma over her shoulder and begun to follow them. The growls had grown louder and louder as the salvagers ran. Sedna with her burden had been lagging behind the group and had been sure that she would be the first to fall the approaching menace. She was aware that the ground had begun to resonate with the thump of many approaching foot falls. Through her helmet Sedna could see her compatriots growing further and further away from her.

What she didn't see was that she was surrounded. Blending into the darkness of the planet shapes were moving all around them. The scurried with inhuman speed along the ground using every limb they had to propel them at an incredible speed. Only the sound of their footfalls and occasional cries gave away the fact that they were even there. In a precisely choreographed manoeuvre three of the creatures appeared in front of the fleeing salvagers. In the blackness size was impossible to gauge but each salvager knew what was facing them. Easily a metre taller than the tallest salvager the creatures were a combination of black cloth, black metal and glowing red cybernetics. Each one grinned at its intended victim with a metal smile and a pair of glowing red eyes. The glow of their forms was reflected on the flensing blades that had taken the place of their fingers. With a wet sound and a single scream the three salvagers that had preceded and predeceased Sedna had been reduced to their component parts.

Sobbing with fear Sedna dropped her burden and fell to her knees. Death was upon her and there was nothing she could to avoid it. The creatures gradually emerged from the darkness drifting across the desert like spectres. They gradually encircled the terrified woman and her unconscious charge. Unexpectedly they paused. One of them drifted towards Emma lying unconscious on the sand. As it bent down Sedna was certain that it had some unspeakably cruel fate in mind for the other woman. Instead it ran the flat of one its bladed fingers along Emma's face. It took incredible care not to cut the already damaged flesh. Through her shock Sedna became aware that the creatures were crooning an ancient melody to their sleeping charge.

As soon as the lullaby was finished the creatures disappeared into the night like wisps of black smoke leaving only Sedna and Emma behind. Confronted with the mystery of survivor before and eternally grateful for having been saved from her horrible fate Sedna gently lifted Emma into her arms and had set off into the night.

What Sedna hadn't known was that Emma hadn't been the pod's sole occupant. Moments after the salvager's flight the pod's other occupant had come plunging out of the hatchway. The second occupant had been a similar state to Emma. After a few shaky steps she too had gone crashing to the ground. As she stared upwards into the black sky her vision was obscured by the demonically grinning visage of one of the creatures hovering over her. Blue lips parted to scream but no sound came out.

For Liara the horror of Erebus was just beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I might have said earlier that I was going to leave reviewing up to the individual reader but seriously, 5 reviews? I don't mean to disrupt the reading experience but I do need feedback here. I want to know that I'm not wasting my time completely by posting the story here. Not to be melodramatic but if I don't get some feedback soon, posting the story here is going to go on the very far back burner(read an update whenever I feel like it). Okay, rant over!

Chapter III: Leaving Eden

Prospero, Bekenstein

1200 hrs local time

Miranda Lawson was feeling quite pleased with herself. She had just completed a lucrative transaction with one of the local politicians on Bekenstein which would see his opponent's reputation destroyed and Miranda's private accounts swelled to the order of several million credits. The guilt over aiding dirty politicians had been easily banished by the reality that there were no clean politicians on Bekenstein. It was simply a matter of choosing the one that would most benefit her interests.

Miranda had settled herself down to her lunch when the hologram of her secretary popped up on her desk. Kelly Chambers had been one of the few members of Shepard's crew that Miranda still had regular contact with. The redhead's organizational talents were only surpassed by her good natured disposition and her discretion.

"Miranda, a package arrived for you." Kelly informed her cheerfully.

"Is it a bomb?" Miranda replied dryly, her lunch temporarily forgotten.

"Not unless flowers are explosive." Kelly answered her; she was well used to her employer's dry humour.

"You can keep them." Miranda concluded dismissively.

"There is also an envelope addressed to you." Kelly added.

The bit about the envelope piqued Miranda's interest but she kept it to herself. "I'll be down in a moment to get the envelope."

Several minutes later Miranda was back in her office her untouched lunch ignored. The envelope that she had collected from Kelly was staring at her expectantly as it lay on her desk. It was made out of premium grade paper and its sender had gone to the trouble of writing Miranda's name by hand in flawless cursive. Miranda was surprised that people still actually used such an arcane means of communicating. Hesitantly Miranda opened the envelope. Upending it, three things tumbled out onto her table. The first was an elaborately folded note. The second was an unmarked OSD and the third was a small data drive. Miranda addressed her attention to the note first. It read:

_Miranda,_

_Rather than accepting your little tirade at face value I have proceeded with arrangements for your little audition. We will be going on a nice soiree together tonight. My way of saying sorry. There is someone there that we should meet._

_Juno_

Of all the nerve, Miranda thought to herself. Juno had once again headed her off and predicted her actions. While Miranda had already decided to contact Juno she had wanted to do it on her own terms and not those of the other woman. She plugged the data disk into her desk and after a routine virus sweep it began to display its contents. Miranda blinked in surprise. It was displaying an architectural hologram of a mansion. The hologram was astoundingly precise and detailed. It was the perfect for an operative with designs on infiltrating the building. Miranda turned her attention to the OSD. Plugging it into her display it revealed a receipt for one of Propsero's most prodigious dressmakers. It also displayed an appointment for a fitting later that afternoon.

Later that evening Miranda found herself standing in front of very mansion that she had seen the blueprint clad in the dress that Juno had arranged for her. It had become quite apparent to Miranda that Juno had a keen eye for fashion and also that money was no object to her. The dress was a deep midnight and impeccably fitted to every contour of her body. The only problem with Juno's plan was that she wasn't there. The outside of the mansion was by no means devoid of people and it was quite apparent to Miranda that a party was going on inside the mansion. Various other guests were trickling into the mansion while uniformed security guards stared balefully at anyone not entering the mansion. Miranda nervousness was warring with her irritation when she felt the wind of someone passing quite close to her. As she turned she noticed that a strange woman was standing beside her. The woman was wearing a dress of pure obsidian with minimal embellishment. Her hair was a mixture of deep chestnut with highlights of red arranged in a tidy braid. As her new partner turned to face her Miranda was struck by the pair of deep green eyes that met hers. They were the kind of eyes that one could easily lose oneself in. The woman's face was broad but somewhat unremarkable. It was only when she began to speak that Miranda realized that she was seeing Juno for the first time.

"Miss Lawson, so kind of you to join me for the soiree." Juno purred.

"You." Miranda hissed in a mixture of surprise and irritation.

Juno held up her hand. "I'm pleased that I elicit that response. Before you make a scene I should tell you that those guards will not take kindly to that. If you want to know more you'll have to play along."

Miranda was seething under her poised exterior but the rational part of her brain was still in control. She would play Juno's game for now. Persephone silently congratulated her on her restraint.

Juno casually headed towards the security checkpoint without a second glance at Miranda. Upon reaching it she locked eyes with the gate guard.

"I'm Ms. Solheim's personal assistant. We are expected at the party. I am sure that you'll find our names on the list." Juno stated coolly.

The guard was evidently more concerned with Juno's appearance than with the cold delivery of her comments. He gave a cursory glance at his omni tool, nodded and resumed his ogling. Juno ignored him and turned back to Miranda. As soon as the two were out of the guard's range of hearing Miranda leaned over to whisper to Juno.

"Where are we?"

"The mansion of Donovan Hock, an infamous mercenary contractor. He's hosting a party for some of his cronies. You are posing as my employer, a respected information broker. I'm sure you can appreciate the symmetry." Juno replied casually as they made their way into the busy main hall of the mansion.

The mansion was packed with the cream of Prospero society. The various guests had evidently picked their dates for the evening on the basis of their physical attributes. It made it relatively easy to tell the actual invitees from their plus ones. Small groups of chatting sentients had ensconced themselves at various locations throughout the hall while a larger group had gathered around a single man and was listening with rapt attention. Miranda guessed that man was none other than Donovan Hock the host of the party. Miranda's observations were cut short by Juno gently steering her off into a relatively deserted corner of the hall.

"What are you doing now?" Miranda asked, her annoyance at being led around by her nose beginning to show.

"You mean what are we doing?" Juno shot back smartly. "_We_ are waiting for the right moment."

"Do you ever not talking in riddles? Fill me in or find someone else."

"Patience Miranda. We are waiting for the opportune moment to intercept an operative who may be of use to us. She's someone we both know. I have a tap on Hock's security system running. The moment she makes her move we'll tail her and make sure she gets out intact. All right?"

"Better now." Miranda replied, her irritation beginning to abate in the face of a mission.

"I'll go find us something to drink. Don't wander off and whatever you do don't talk to anyone." Juno stated as she wandered off in the direction of the bar.

Miranda wasn't left alone for very long. A man with scars in place of his face and improbably clutching a pair of asari materialized in Miranda's corner. He was obviously well on his way to inebriation.

"Hiya beautiful. What's a lovely lady like you doing in a place like this?" He slurred.

"Minding my own business." Miranda snapped back.

"Oooh that ain't nice!" Her new 'friend' replied. "You don't know who I am."

"That would be a pleasure that I think I could refrain from for my entire life."

"The name's Hearst, William Hearst. I run a cadre of the Eclipse. My two companions are Lelina and Senina. I can never remember which is which." The two asari sniggered at this. Miranda found herself wondering how they put up with their companion. "Being Eclipse is hard work. Good pay, nice views, doing what you want when you want to who you want."

"It sounds terrible maybe you should find a different job." Miranda suggested acidly.

"There are a few perks. The odd business trip Illium. You would never believe that I was there a couple years back. It didn't turn out so well. That was how I ended up with a face like this."

"And here I was thinking that you were born that way."

"You know I swore that if I ever found the person that did that to me I would make them pay for the face and for the money I lost." Hearst's tone was turning belligerent as he continued his story. "You know my boss at the time was a posh old geezer in a wheelchair. Said his daughter landed him in it. It was that same daughter that got me my scars."

As Hearst concluded his story the pieces clicked into place in Miranda's mind. Hearst's employer had likely been her father and Hearst's mission had been to abduct Oriana for Illium. Miranda was about to move when one of the asari slammed her into the wall she had been leaning against with a thud. Positioning a blue arm against Miranda's windpipe the asari gave her a warning shake of her head. The meaning was clear.

"Imagine my surprise when I saw the old man's daughter out here." Hearst gloated. Hearst stopped his gloating in mid sentence.

"Now, now, I take it very poorly when mercenaries attempt to abduct my employee." Juno whispered having returned not with drinks but instead with a compact and very deadly looking needle nosed pistol in her hand. "Ladies and gentleman I suggest that you unhand the lady and find somewhere else to be unless you fancy a sudden end."

"You wouldn't dare!" Hearst hissed back.

"I'm the one with the only pistol. I've already dared to smuggle it through the weapons scanners it would seem a pity not to use it!" Juno promised direly.

"Fine! Girls let her go. We'll find her again."

"Good choice. Now go enjoy the party." Juno ordered.

As Hearst and his concubines sullenly made their way back to the party Juno gave Miranda a cursory look. "I told you not to mingle."

"That's very reassuring." Miranda shot back. "If this party is full of scum like Hearst then I wouldn't give much for our chances even with your pistol."

Juno touched a button on the pistol and Miranda watched as the long barrelled weapon gradually curled itself into a compact ball. With a slight flourish Juno slid the weapon into one long boot of her outfit.

"The party is indeed full of scum like Hearst but fortunately the party is about to end prematurely." Juno replied lightly. Taking Juno's comment for what it was Miranda followed the other woman through the crowded party towards the massive deck overlooking the nearby sea. Before they reached it Juno detoured down a set of steps to a seemingly disused maintenance area. Juno came to a stop in front of a featureless piece of wall.

"Why have we stopped?"

"Watch and learn." Juno replied with a flourish of her hand. Midway through the flourish the wall ground open in front of the two. Inside was a small room with a much thicker door and a set of scanners. The other door was already open indicating that someone had already forced their way in.

"This is a heist." Miranda exclaimed understanding dawning on her.

"Yes and we are going to ensure that our thief makes it out of here in on piece. We'll be stopping by a weapons locker before making our way out to the landing site." Juno informed her.

When the two reached for the locker Miranda couldn't resist asking more questions. "So what is this thief after?"

"I'm not really sure. Some sort of data module." Juno replied curtly as she busied herself hacking the door to the weapons locker. With an exclamation of satisfaction the door slid open before her. Juno selected a rifle and pistol for Miranda before grabbing a compact missile launcher for herself.

"Are you sure that you have enough firepower there?" Miranda asked as she checked her weapons over.

"You can never have enough firepower." Juno replied as she secured the weapon's power cells into their housings.

Without another word Juno led them through a number of twisting service corridors. Several times during the trip Miranda was sure that they were lost but the two eventually made their way onto a small balcony overlooking a fuel depot and landing pad. Juno motioned for Miranda to take cover as a solitary figure emerged onto the pad.

The drone of approaching engines was the first sign that they were no longer alone on the pad. With a roar a Mantis gunship emerged from below the landing pad. Miranda guessed that the Mantis wasn't there just for a routine refuelling.

Her suspicions were confirmed moments later when the gunship's pilot started talking to the lone figure below them. Miranda was trying to pay attention when Juno elbowed her.

"I've reconfigured this rocket launcher to disrupt the gunship's barriers. I want you to use your rifle to either kill the pilot or disable the gunship's flight systems. Do you understand?" Juno barked.

Miranda gave her a swift nod. Juno silently counted down from three before standing up. Miranda followed suit moments later. The two lined up their shots wholly unnoticed by both the gunship pilot and the figure below them. Juno fired first sending a pair of crimson tailed rockets flying towards the gunship. As the vessel's shields dissipated in a storm of sparks Miranda fired three rounds into the vessel's hydraulics. The cumulative effect was to jam the vessel's thrusters downwards causing the gunship to plummet into the landing dock. It exploded moments after impacting in a brilliant orange fireball.

"Follow me." Juno yelled as she discarded her rocket launcher and drew her pistol. The two descended a set of nearby stairs to ground level. As they the ground level they were accosted by a very familiar figure. Miranda stifled a quiet gasp as she realized that it was none other than Kasumi Goto, the thief that had been a part of both Shepard's and later her own crew.

"Miri?" Kasumi exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Introductions and reminiscences can wait until we have cleared the area." Juno interrupted brusquely.

"Nice company you keep these days Miranda." Kasumi answered snidely as Juno led them away from the wrecked landing platform.

_Be careful Miranda._ Persephone whispered. _If Juno is gathering individuals associated with Shepard together she may not be as benign as she seems. You may well be her target rather than her ally._

Persephone's comment caused Miranda to pause for a second. Juno noted this with an irritated glance and a wave. The trio came to a stop at the edge of the large landing pad.

"I hope you don't expect us to jump." Kasumi joked as she glanced over the edge at the pounding surf of the ocean beneath them.

"Quite the contrary Ms. Goto. Our transport will be arriving momentarily." Juno replied smugly.

A whisper of displaced air was Miranda's first hint that something was closing in on them. As looked in front of her she noticed a slight hint of distortion akin to what one would see from a hot surface on a cold day. With a crackle of dissipating energy the field dissipated revealing a sleek and relatively flat craft hovering before them. The ship was jet black and appeared to be a hybrid of a flattened needle and an arrowhead. A pair of engines were nestled below a pair of raked wings. The vessel itself was smaller than a frigate in size but significantly larger than a gunship. It also seemed to be totally in keeping with Juno's character. As Miranda was taking in the view of the ship she missed a circular hatchway opening on the side of the hull and the landing ramp being extended towards them. Hock's security forces also took the same moment to stage a dramatic reappearance as the pelted the landing field with gunfire. Kasumi wasted no time rushing into the ship. Miranda followed her swiftly with Juno bringing up the rear. Strangely enough Juno seemed completely nonplussed by the rain of fire around her and proceeded to board swiftly but calmly. The behaviour seemed to highlight the subtle degree of abnormality associated with Juno.

The ship's hatch shut softly behind them. The interior of the vessel was lit by only a few recessed lights giving the ship a shadowy appearance. The interior was lightly furnished with only a small galley and eating area. A hatch towards the rear led to, what Miranda, guessed to be the engineering spaces while its opposite led towards the cockpit. Juno was already on her way there and with a quick motion opened the hatch and darted through, without a second though Miranda followed her. The cockpit was almost totally dark save for numerous haptic displays. There were only three seats in the cockpit no one else was present except for Juno who was seated at the pilot's station. It made it quite clear to Miranda that the ship was run by an extremely advanced VI system.

"Engaging stealth mode." The VI announced in a monotone. "Detecting two approaching gunships. Recommend descending to minimum safe altitude for evasion."

"Engage manual controls and stand by decoys." Juno ordered curtly as she took control of the ship's systems.

Miranda was aware of her stomach jumping into her mouth as the ship descended swiftly. She was glad that she couldn't actually see the terrain racing by them.

"Approaching gunship scanners are attempting to acquire. We are at optimum distance to jettison the decoy." The VI announced.

"Proceed with jettison. Set decoy course for the system's mass relay. Rig for proximity detonation when gunships are within 250 metres."

"Confirmed."

Miranda's attention was drawn to a nearby holographic display of both Juno's ship and the approaching gunships. As she watched a small cylinder dropped of their ship and began to rapidly ascend. The two gunships quickly began to follow the ascending decoy.

"Gunships are closing to 250 metres. Proximity detonation is now armed." The VI announced. "Decoy detonated. Both gunships destroyed."

To confirm what the VI had said the icons representing the decoy and two gunships winked out simultaneously.

Juno let out a soft sigh.

"Now the real work begins." She stated.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Don't forget to Review! The more reviews, the quicker you get new chapters!

Chapter IV: Involuntary Service

Location: Erebus

Time: Unknown

_Xalun'Tar: noun 1. The personification of evil, 2. A devil, 3. The final stage of the nanophage._

Emma had made an amazing recovery by every measure that Sedna had. Sedna had kept her confined to the infirmary for the duration of her convalescence but that hadn't stopped Emma from peppering the medic with questions. Sometimes Sedna remained mute which meant that Emma wasn't ready to know the answer but other times she would readily speak about life on Erebus. Sedna's answers were generally vague or related to the minutiae of every day life. It was early or at least what Emma perceived to be early one morning when Sedna came to see her with an uncharacteristically grim expression.

"Well Emma, it appears that you have recovered completely. The rest of the crew is looking forward to meeting you for the first time." Sedna stated quietly. Her face betrayed the fact that she was not at all happy about this turn of events. "Before we go to meet them there is something you have to see. Follow me and try to look as normal as possible."

Sedna motioned for Emma to follow her to a bulky metal hatch which she opened the moment Emma arrived at her side.

"Keep quiet at all times and don't make eye contact with anyone you see." Sedna ordered before stepping out into the companionway.

The companionway was narrow, accommodating only two people standing abreast, and was made out the same reddish brown metal as the infirmary had been. Dozens of pipes, conduits and wires lined the walls of the companion way and several were coated in a sheen of condensation. Emma followed Sedna as closely as she dared. After many twists and turns through numerous featureless companionways the two arrived at another hatchway. Sedna quickly yanked a lever beside the hatchway which caused the pressure door to groan open before them. The room before them was totally dark unlike the relatively well lit companionways. Sedna moved through the darkness with a confidence born of familiarity. As Emma passed through the hatch it ground shut behind her plunging the entire room into darkness. Emma was about to open her mouth in protest when a sliver of bluish light appeared before her. The sliver gradually grew until Emma realized that she was looking out onto the surface of Erebus. The light was coming from nebula that Sedna had described to her before. The nebula itself was indescribably beautiful. Colours morphed and changed before her very eyes as the nebula altered its pigmentation again and again. Emma was so caught up in staring at the nebula that she never noticed the surface of the planet.

"My goddess." Emma breathed finally.

"It's quite a sight. I didn't get to see this until I had been here for over five years." Sedna replied, echoing Emma's awe as she came to stand next to her. "I didn't just bring you to see this though. I also brought you here to teach you a lesson."

"What lesson?" Emma asked as she turned her head to face Sedna worry creeping into her voice.

"Look down below the nebula." Sedna commanded.

Emma did. The surface of Erebus was barren and devoid of life. Featureless grey dunes of sand reared up out of the ocean of desert. The planet seemed wholly lifeless.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Emma asked in confusion.

"Look more closely at the surface." Sedna ordered.

Blinking in confusion Emma concentrated on a single dune as a starting place. As continued to look her eyes gradually became accustomed to both the strange light of the nebula and to the surface of the landscape. As she was about to turn back to Sedna she saw it. At first all she could see was a flash of movement, indistinct in the darkness. As she looked more closely she saw the same movement, this time it was accompanied by a flicker of red light. As she continued to look out at the darkness she noticed that there were other flickers of red light.

"You see them now don't you Emma?" Sedna asked rhetorically.

"Who? What are they?" Emma asked in shock.

"Those are the xalun'tar. Some of the crew simply call them the fallen ones. They are what you and I will eventually become." Sedna informed her sadly.

"Wait! What do you mean we'll become like them?" Emma gasped in disbelief.

"It is the curse of living on Erebus. In addition to the xalun'tar, the organics and whatever viruses and bacteria coexist with us there is one other lifeform of note on Erebus. Apothecaries, like me, call it the nanophage. The common people call it the living death." Sedna explained in a voice that was clipped and controlled. "From the moment that someone lands or is born on Erebus they contract the nanophage. For the most part it begins as a small colony and gradually grows, weaving its way into all of your internal organs. In most cases individuals live most of their lives without it doing any real damage. At some point the nanites in your body will activate."

"What happens then?" Emma asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You become one of them. Your body is twisted into a form that resembles theirs; half machine and half organic. Your mind, who you are, vanishes and you become a murderous beast bent only on escaping into the darkness of Erebus and murdering whatever organics are unlucky enough to cross your path."

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been condemned to death without even knowing the cause. A sob threatened to escape her lips. Sedna carefully wrapped one of her arms around her companion and gently pulled her close.

"You deserve to know the truth of your condition." Sedna said, apologetically. "You in particular have an extremely high concentration of nanites which means that you could turn at any moment. In fact you should have already turned. You are unique Emma."

"A freak more like." Emma ground back bitterly.

"Hardly." Sedna reassured. "For all I know you might be immune."

"We can both hope." Emma sighed, any feelings of anger she had ebbing away into black depression.

"I had to tell you now. What I told you is a secret. Most people don't know the link between the nanophage and the xalun'tar. The average person thinks that you just die from it. It's a carefully kept secret. I told you because I want you to make the most out of your time here. You might not have much of it." Sedna confessed. "I brought you to see the nebula and xalun'tar to show you what life was really like on Erebus. On the surface you have ugliness and inevitability but in the sky you have hope and beauty. That hope can never be taken away from you. Ever."

Emma was about to open her mouth to thank Sedna when the hatch behind them opened. Both of them spun to confront the new arrival. He was unlike anything Emma had ever seen before. The new arrival was a biped similar to Emma and Sedna and was possessed of the same number of appendages. That was where the similarities ended. His skin was composed of interlocking leaves of what appeared to be a flexible metal. His face was totally lacking any type of nose while his mouth was made up of a set of interwoven fangs. A pair of yellow, cat-like, eyes came to rest on Emma as she unconsciously shied away behind Sedna.

When he spoke Emma immediately recognized the voice as that of Sedna's dueling partner from several nights ago. "So apothecary, you've seen fit to take your patient out for a walk. I shall have to remind you of the costs of disobeying orders at a later date." The new arrival snorted in amusement. Tiring of intimidating Sedna he turned his attention to Emma. "Tell me your name."

"Emma." She replied unflinchingly her courage coming back to her. "And might I have the pleasure of your name?"

"A bit of backbone after all." The new arrival laughed, a dangerous glint remained in his eyes despite his amusement. "I am Lanar. I am also the _Acheron_'s second in command. No matter what happens I am your superior. _Anything_ I want I can have from you. _Anything_."

Emma was barely able to suppress a shudder of revulsion. "We shall see." She muttered under her breath.

"The autarch does not like being kept waiting. You two follow me!" Lanar barked as he rounded away from them.

At glance from Sedna she hurried after Lanar's departing form. Emma was hard pressed to keep up with the taller being's long stride and quick gait. After several minutes of twisting through the companionways Lanar lead them through a large, open, hatchway. The hatchway gave onto a relatively large space which Emma guessed was the vessel's central control facility. The room was multileveled and the walls were plastered with control stations. For some reason all of the technology in the control room seemed out of date to Emma though she could not explain why. Many of the visual displays were simple flatscreens displaying their information in monochrome. Most the controls that she saw were a confusing array of buttons, pegs, knobs and levers. A number of gauges and simplistic illuminated readouts were present. The most advanced piece of technology present was a large tank of what appeared to be black water in the middle of the room. The surface of the water was shaped to display, what Emma guessed to be, the land surrounding the vessel. At the centre of the projection was the vessel itself. To her immense surprise the vessel was sitting on the ground. Perched atop banks of massive tracks a low but bulky metal structure rested. Roughly square in configuration the vessel appeared to be a rolling fortress as it was studded with banks of weapons. In the centre a dome like structure rose from the rest of the vessel.

As Emma completed her examination of the projection she suddenly realized that the room had gone quiet. Before her arrival it had been abuzz with noise and activity now one could hear a pin drop. Emma carefully turned away from the projection to confront the occupants of the room. A dozen different sets of eyes were staring at her expectantly. Emma's gaze came to rest on the owner of a set of cold grey eyes. The individual that she was looking at was undoubtedly the ship's commander. He was also quite old. A long greyish black main of hair cascaded over broad shoulders. A roughly humanish face was marred by countless scars and tattoos that bespoke a rough existence. The autarch was also possessed of four arms and a pair of legs that made it clear that he wasn't human. A black uniform was adorned with a crimson cloak – no doubt his badge of office.

"So you are the resha." The autarch stated eventually, his voice like a rumble of distant thunder.

"I am." Emma replied hesitantly.

"Not much to look at are you?"

Emma was flummoxed by the insult but fortunately the autarch was indifferent whatever response she might have made.

"The archimandrite will tell us your purpose and then we will deal with you." The autarch concluded.

"Archimandrite?"

"Turn around girl."

Emma turned. A black form had materialized behind her. Easily three metres tall it towered over her. Clad in a black robe it had no perceptible features except for its helmet. The helmet was skull like in appearance and added a terrifying depth to the featureless black recess that was the being's face. As Emma looked up at the creature a massive gauntleted hand emerged out of the black robes and reached up to remove the helmet. The creature then bent its head down until it was practically nose to nose with Emma, that was if it even had a nose. Emma moved to back away but the same heavy, gauntleted hand was suddenly, painfully pressing into her shoulder. All she could do was stare into the black void where a face should have been. As the two stared at each other Emma began to feel a cold, dark presence reaching into her mind. It gradually began to seep into the closed off reaches of her consciousness looking through her memories. Most of the memories were incomprehensible but it stopped at one in particular. It was the memory of a large black vessel located in an equally black sky. The vessel felt familiar to Emma. With a sudden start Emma realized that the feelings that she felt about the dark vessel in her mind's eye and the feeling that she had from the creature in front of her were one and the same. There was a sense of satisfaction at her realization that emanated from the creature.

A solitary voice whispered across her mind. "Welcome to Erebus daughter."

Abruptly the creature released her and turned away from her. It carefully seated its terrifying helm on its head once more before turning back towards the autarch.

"She will make an excellent officer." The creature hissed. "She has long experience and a keen mind."

"Thank you for your service archimandrite." The autarch replied deferentially. With a start Emma realized that the autarch was treating the creature as though it was his superior and not vice versa. As she realized this the autarch turned its attention back towards her. "Do you have a name resha?"

"Emma," She replied, she considered for a moment before adding, "Sir."

The autarch considered her for some moments, causing her to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "Defiant," He concluded, "Pragmatic and cunning. Excellent traits for a future officer provided you learn your place. Tell me resha, do you know your place?"

"No." Emma replied quietly and honestly.

"We were all like you at one time. We were once lost." The autarch boomed out to the crew.

"Now we are found." They chanted back.

"We did not know our places." The autarch continued.

"Now we have our duties!" Came the response.

"We had no future." The autarch chanted louder.

"We have a destiny!" The crew roared.

"What is our destiny?" The autarch questioned.

"We will overcome and we will flourish!"

"What are we?"

"ACHERON!" The fervour of the chant had caused the crew to dissolve into wild cheering. The autarch raised his hands for quiet and was instantly obeyed.

"You have been granted a supreme honour resha. You were once lost but we have found you and we give you a place among us. You will become one of our exarchs." Emma was about to open her mouth when the autarch fixed her with a deadly glare. "There is no rejecting this honour. Now stand up straight and repeat after me: I swear to bring honour to this ship until my dying breath. This ship is more important to me than life itself. To bring dishonour to the ship is a fate worse than death. This I do swear."  
>Not knowing what else to do Emma repeated the oath in a strong clear voice. Once again destiny had taken hold and she was being dragged along with it.<p>

Clearly pleased with her delivery and accepting her hesitance the autarch graced Emma with a smile. "Welcome aboard Exarch Emma. You are now in charge of the Styges Quarter. You are the senior officer there. You are responsible to me and to my second, Lanar and no one else. Your subordinates will explain your duties, routine and show you your new quarters. Learn quickly Exarch for this is a ship of war and combat is an ever present reality here. Dismissed."

Still reeling from her initiation Emma had barely recovered her equilibrium when Lanar materialized at her side and gave her an irritated swat with one of his hands.

"Wake up Exarch." He hissed angrily. "Follow me."

Emma was about give the annoying second in command a taste of his own medicine before she realized just where she stood. She had been conscripted into the crew of an alien vessel. For all of Lanar's negative qualities he was still her commanding officer and, given the fervour of the crew, disobeying her commanding officer seemed to be a sure-fire way to find herself dead or worse.

Lanar was already halfway out of the bridge by the time Emma caught up to him. He paid no mind to his charge nor did he seem particularly interested in talking as he led her back through the companionways. The pair came to a stop in front of a massive circular bulkhead door. Lanar turned to face her.

"As an officer of this crew I have a certain responsibility to you. The time may come when you hold the fate of this vessel in your hands." Lanar paused before continuing his voice angry now. "That said I don't like you. I don't like how you came to be here. I don't like the position you hold. Your being here came at too high a cost and you don't seem worth it. If you so much as put one foot out of line I'll see to it that you won't ever be able to move it again. Do you understand me?"

"I do," Emma replied, the words thick like bile. "sir."

"Your life is going to be short and painful. When things start to go wrong for you consider taking a cleaner way out." Lanar suggested maliciously. "Dismissed."

Without a further word the creature turned and left the startled woman staring impotently at his departing back. There was no doubt in her mind that she had an enemy. The reason why seemed to be as unimportant as it was inexplicable. Emma turned back towards the massive bulkhead door and quickly located the door control mechanism. As she stepped through the now open door she was greeted by a short grey skinned humanoid. He had a grizzled but friendly air about him marking a change from the downcast or outright hostile airs of the bulk of the crew. His uniform was quite casual consisting of an unbuttoned grey jacket, a green tank top and a pair of black slacks.

"So you must be the new exarch!" Her new companion laughed. "It looks like I win the pool."

"You know me already? Even without a uniform?" Emma asked in confusion.

"Of course ma'am." He companion replied jovially. "We knew that old Sedna had picked up a resha during the last supply mission. Since we lost three on that mission including the old CO chances were that we would be getting you. I wagered that you would be our new exarch and it looks like I won."

"How did you know before hand?" Emma prodded still confused.

"Simple. I'm not officer grade material. I know it. The autarch knows it. Since I was the next in line for command he had to move fast. When Lanar called me out here to meet you I knew you would be the new exarch and not just some average grunt. He wouldn't have bothered me otherwise." The other explained.

"I don't even know your name." Emma remarked her confusion and doubt gradually ebbing in the face of the stranger's easy manner and friendly demeanour.

"The name is Kava. I am to be your Decanus or second in Command." He replied. "Might I have your name exarch?"

"Emma," She replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Kava laughed. "You might change your tone in a few weeks."

"You seem awfully informal compared to the autarch." Emma remarked as Kava gestured for her to follow him down the companionway.

"With all due respect to the autarch he runs things his way and I see to it that things here are run my way." Kava answered without a hint of malice. "You, ma'am will be learning the lay of the land from me. You might have ideas about how you're going to run things but I can tell you that things don't change here."

"Frankly I just want to get my bearings. So long as you have a system that works and doesn't cause us problems we should get along fine." Emma remarked, sliding easily into her role as an officer. For some reason it felt perfectly natural.

"So you were military in another life?" Kava asked politely.

"According to the archimandrite I was. Unfortunately I don't remember any of it. What gave me away?"

"You're a pragmatist ma'am. You know that the lower deck has its own way of doing things and you respect that. You don't seem to be a martinet either." Kava explained honestly. "We've had a few CO's that really didn't belong. Bad things happened to them quickly. You, I think, will last a lot longer. You seem comfortable with us and deep down I think you'll be comfortable here."

"It's nice of you to say that Kava. If I didn't know better I would think you were trying to curry favour." Emma answered with a slight smile.

"No ma'am. Currying favour was the last thing on my mind." Kava replied with a wink.

"Just call me Emma when we aren't on duty. I haven't gotten used to my rank yet."

"As you say." Kava stopped in front of another heavy bulkhead door. "Are you ready to meet the crew? There are about five of us on duty right now. Another ten take different watches while ten more are attached to the engineering and ground teams of the _Acheron_ but are nominally under your command."

Emma took a deep breath before giving her second in command a nod. The hatchway opened onto a small control room. As promised by Kava five sentients occupied various stations around the room. The room itself was compact and diamond shaped with the hatchway at one end of the diamond and consoles lining the walls. A pair of unoccupied stations were located in the centre of the room.

"Welcome to the gunnery control centre of the Styges quarter." Kava announced loudly. "We're tasked with keeping the _Acheron_ safe from all external threats. At least the ones coming from our direction."

His announcement startled the crew out of their work and upon noticing the two new arrivals the crew hurried over to arrange themselves in a rough line.

"Introductions all around." Kava continued. "This is the new exarch, Emma. She's taking over the quarter." Kava announced gesturing back to Emma. "Everyone state your name, rank, and duty location for the exarch."

The first candidate was a reptilian looking being. He was roughly the size of a Krogan but the similarities ended there. A biped, it was made up of deep green scales. Its hands were clawed but appeared to be quite flexible and dexterous. It regarded Emma through a pair of obsidian eyes looking down a long snout.

"We are Smarr." It announced after sizing her up. "We hold the rank of Imaginifer and operate the quarter's sensors and detection equipment."

"Smarr here is a gestalt entity." Kava explained. "He has the collected consciousnesses of all of his ancestors in that big head of his."

"How you survive without only one voice to guide you remains a mystery to us." Smarr hissed back with a rattling laugh.

The next pair of crew members were a pair of insectoid looking creatures. Looking vaguely like upright centipedes with hundreds of small delicate looking manipulators the creatures watched their new CO through sets of grey compound eyes.

"This one is known by the others here as Klik while my companion is known as Klak." The insect announced in a chattering voice.

"The twins here are the weapons moderatii. They are exceptionally talented shots." Kava announced confidentially. "I gave them their names after we realized that we would never be able to pronounce their real names."

Emma attempted to identify unique characteristics about each of the insectoids but found them to be almost completely identical. Keeping them straight was going to be quite the chore she realized.

The fourth crewmember was what Emma guessed to be another woman. Looking mostly human with what appeared to be stone in lieu of skin the other sized her up with a quiet intelligent gaze.

"This is your Venator." Kava announced before being interrupted.

"I am perfectly capable of speaking for myself Kava." The woman replied in a soft, measured voice. "I am Skara. I am to be your Venator or bodyguard. While not keeping watch over you I coordinate the internal defences of the quarter. I am also the one tasked with repelling any boarding actions and with keeping you safe."

"I'm in danger?" Emma asked, surprised that she needed a bodyguard.

"Every exarch has a venator attached to them. It is important that you not be killed too easily. We also insure that you follow the orders of the autarch and discourage disloyalty." Skara replied in an icy tone.

"She's much nicer when you get to know her." Kava laughed, clearly not meaning what he said.

The final crewmember wasn't even a crewmember at all but rather the projection of an individual. The projection was of a human woman of medium stature with deep red hair. Emma had a sudden tingle of recognition as she looked at her.

"Sira? Is your name Sira?" She asked without knowing why she asked the question.

"Yes." The hologram replied regarding her strangely. "Have we met?"

"Yes." Emma paused and shook her head. "No. I don't really know. I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"Sira is a relatively recent addition. We salvaged her AI core from some wreckage we found a while back. Most of her memory has been erased but the base processors were incredibly advanced and compatible with the construction of this section." Kava explained, surprised for the first time since Emma had known him. "She was added to improve this section of the ship since we had lost so many crew members. It is strange that she is familiar to you."

"Very." Emma replied quietly a feeling of unease gradually creeping over her.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Rather than include a chapter from Miri's point of view I have included another one relating to Emma's time on Erebus. The next two chapters will focus on an epic arch with Miranda involving: Cerberus, the Reapers, Kai Leng, and of course Juno and her agenda. On an unrelated note I would like to provide a bit of an insight for all of you into a minor detail in this story namely Emma's name. You might have noticed that during much of the first book that I referred to her simply as Shepard. In this story I have deliberately set it up that Emma is referred to only by her first. The difference reflects two themes. The first and most simple is that our protagonist doesn't remember her life before and, obviously, doesn't remember her last name. On another level she can be viewed to have shed her old identity which was caught up in her last name. On Erebus she is simply Emma, more or less a blank slate with little conception of her past, identity, or destiny. As the story progresses you can expect to see the two identities conflict as more and more of Emma's memories return. You can also expect Emma to act in a different manner than she would have previously. So ends the spoiler. In this chapter we will see Emma complete her orientation, find a set of mysteries about her literal predecessor, and have a series of prophetic dreams. As always Review because reviews encourage me to write faster! Enjoy!

Chapter V: Acclimatization

_The Practice of Inherited Command _

_Known informally as Dead Man's Shoes_

_Extracted From The Erebus Compendium_

_The practice of inherited command is one of the most difficult to adapt to for new arrivals on Erebus__. Given the somewhat unique nature of the military on Erebus the development of this practice is unsurprising. In short the practice begins with the death of an officer or crewmember of one of the various landships. In some cases the practice has been known to extend to include officers and bureaucrats in the numerous settlements throughout Erebus. Upon the death of the incumbent a replacement is selected, though not simply on the basis of their qualifications but also on the basis of their physical appearance and psychological makeup. To this end the archimandrites are key to ensuring that replacements, often reshas, are good fits for the position that they are filling. If the process occurs smoothly then there will be almost no difference between the old and new officer over the longterm. If there is a slip up the subordinates will often ensure that their new superior conforms to their memory of the incumbent. In extreme cases of a bad fit the new candidate will end up dead of 'mysterious and unexplained causes' within a short space of time. In other extreme cases the replacement will go as far as to adopt the incumbent's name and habits leading to a loss of their previous identity. In other cases individuals with close connections to the incumbent will attempt to continue their connections with the replacements. Occasionally this can lead to unpleasant confrontations._

Location: LD09 Acheron, Styges Quarter, Exarch's Quarters

Time: 2230 hrs Ship Time

It was with a weary sigh that Emma eased her tired form onto the thin bed of her quarters. It had been both a long and unsettling day for her. Being thrust into an unfamiliar world without her memories had been a contributing factor but her malaise hinged on seeing the avatar of the AI. Whenever Emma had looked or spoken to other she had felt a very deep sense of familiarity, as though she could define the AI's words before she even spoke them. She also had the sense that the AI, despite being a totally alien entity was in much the same state.

Her orientation and first duty shift had gone without incident and Kava had been an attentive and helpful subordinate. The other crewmembers had watched her with a mixture of difficult to read emotions. After Kava had familiarized her with the quarter's various systems he had shown her the layout of her new world. The ship's design emphasized redundancy and heavy defence and the function of the four quarters was to maintain the central section's integrity. As Kava had succinctly put it the central section held the ship's heart and brain namely the bridge and main reactor. As a result of the heavy emphasis on defence and compartmentalization few individuals were allowed access to all sections of the ship. Emma, being an officer, was one of the few who could enter all sections of the ship, though doing so without cause was discouraged.

For the crew of the Styges quarter it meant that everything that they needed had to be within easy reach. Below the central command there was an equally compact mess hall and recreation area where the quarter's crew would relax regardless of rank. Accommodations were located on the same deck with the bulk of the crew sharing a common barracks and common sanitary facilities. The tour had ended with Emma's cabin. One of the privileges of her rank was that she had a small cabin and a private washroom. While Kava and Skara had their own cabins they were, in Kava's words, considerably smaller.

When Kava had opened the door to the cabin Emma instantly thought he had made a mistake. The cabin was compact and the fittings old but what was unusual was the fact that the cabin looked as though someone had been living in it. As Shepard went in she noticed that uniform jacket had been haphazardly draped over a chair. The room's small closet contained several sets of uniforms, and a complete set of off duty clothing. The room's desk was stacked with reports while a small display hummed in standby mode. What caught Emma's attention was a set of small pictures accompanied by a much larger picture. The picture was a portrait of an alien woman. She had hair much like Emma's, an attractive and perfectly proportioned face accompanying a set of deep violet eyes. It was only the differences in pigmentation that made Emma think that she was even alien. Upon seeing the other woman's portrait she turned back to Kava.

"Is this some sort of mistake Kava?" She asked worriedly. "These quarters are occupied."

"You are correct in all matters except one." Kava replied, his joviality giving way to a quiet regret. "These quarters were occupied."

"Were?" Emma prodded, a sinking feeling taking hold of her stomach.

"These are the Exarch's quarters. They used to belong to Inaa your predecessor. That's her portrait over there." Kava responded gesturing to the picture.

"What happened?" Emma whispered, almost not wanting to know the whole story. She already had a good idea that Kava had used the word predecessor in its most literal form.

Kava seemed to steel himself before commencing the story. "Shortly before we stopped at the debris field and found you the Acheron made port at a dig site in a nearby mountain range. We were delivering supplies and loading some of their finds. Since we were in port we kept a skeleton crew on the ship and used the rest of the crew to help load and provide security. Inaa and I were charged with providing security. Everything was going fine up until the final day of our stay. It was evening when the Xalun'tar attacked in massive numbers. The dig site fortifications were breached and most of the standing security force was quickly eliminated. We were guarding the Acheron at the time. The fallen made it all the way to our position in numbers like I've never seen before. It was terrifying and at the same time strangely beautiful.

The autarch came over the vox and gave us orders to secure all the hatches along our quarter. Being a good CO Inaa ordered practically everyone back aboard the ship to secure the hatches from inside while she and I secured them from outside. By the time we had gotten to the last hatch the fallen were all over us. They don't go down easy and they don't stay dead." Kava paused for both breath and thought. "Where we were was a sort of docking bridge. On one side was the ship and the hatch and on the other were the Xalun'tar. The only problem was that they were between us and the release controls. We had to push the fallen back to release the ship. Surprisingly enough we did it, just the two of us. We had almost finished when one of them got Inaa. It wasn't even a bad wound either. She finished the creature off and completed the release sequence. We were halfway down the bridge when I noticed that something was wrong. What I saw still haunts me to this day. When we started Inaa was fine and by the time she was halfway down the bridge she was barely able to walk. It was like something underneath her skin had come alive. I tried to pull her back to the ship but she told me to go on and not worry about her. I didn't listen but in the end the docking bridge started to retract. When I finally decided to save myself she was already dead. She had gone from being full of life to do dead in under two minutes and just because of a single shallow cut." Kava finished his story clearly shaken. "She was a damn fine officer, a damn fine woman and a damn good friend."

To Emma the subtext was clear: "how could you measure up to her?"

The two stood in silence for several minutes. After a story like that and standing in the ashes of someone else's life words seemed trite. It was Kava who broke the silence first.

"Anyway, what's important for you is that you have just inherited Inaa's life. In short you are her." Kava replied shortly.

"You can't be serious." Emma exclaimed.

"Deadly." Kava answered, a chill seeping into his voice. "As long as there has been an Acheron there has been a female exarch in charge of this quarter. The tradition on each of these ships is that new crewmembers become the position. Inaa was the exarch. Now you're the exarch. This is your life."

"I don't want to erase her life or live it instead of her." Emma explained attempting to find a compromise that didn't exist.

"You are the exarch and your word is law. You can erase all trace of Inaa. Most in your situation would do that in an effort to hang on to who they are." Kava concluded before his tone softened again. It was as though he realized who he was talking to. "It doesn't work. My advice to you is that you look at Inaa as an example. She was a good leader. Try to live up to her legacy don't try to forget it."

With that comment Kava turned and left Emma alone with only the company of her predecessor's wraith. It didn't take Emma long to realize the truth of Kava's words. While the custom of taking over both the previous occupant's rank and position as well as their quarters and possessions was macabre Emma felt that it wouldn't do Inaa's memory justice to simply ignore who she had been. Emma slowly set to work trying to glean what she could about the other woman from her possessions. A bound diary, that she found in the draw of the room's single desk, was little help in the practical sense as all of the entries were in an alien script. What was interesting was the fact that the book had several different types of handwriting and lettering. It looked as though the diary had enjoyed the attention of each Exarch that had occupied the cabin. After Emma eased herself into the desk chair with the diary in her hand she gently rotated to take in her new cabin. At one end a small door hid the closet of uniforms, a set of drawers were built into the wall next to the closet. A single bed was drawn up against the wall several feet from the closet and directly across from her desk. At the other end of the room a table with a pair of chairs sat. On the table a detailed and lovingly cared for chess set sat, judging from the pieces the players had been interrupted midway through a game. Emma wondered briefly how a chess set had came to be in a cabin aboard an alien vessel on an equally alien world but dismissed the musing as her eyes came to rest on a shelf of books. Evidently Inaa had been something of a bibliophile but at the same time she had not eschewed all contact with others. Emma had a sense from the chess set and the room that Inaa had been close to someone else. Emma found herself wondering whether or not Kava had been the object of Inaa's attention but found herself dismissing that. It was not so much that she found Kava unattractive, quite the opposite, but more that she knew instinctively that Kava would never fraternize with a superior officer like Inaa to. The identity of Inaa's chess partner would remain a mystery for now.

As Emma continued her examination of the room her gaze fell on another large standing case near the table with the chess set. Her curiosity piqued she advanced on it opened it cautiously. Emma was taken aback by what she found. Inside was a small collection of weapons. Cautiously she extracted the weapons and set them on the bed. They were unlike anything she had seen previously and looked like they belonged in a totally different time. The first set was a pair with which Emma felt a sense of familiarity: a sheathed sword and a compact dagger. With a smooth gesture Emma drew the sword from its sheath and examined it in the light. The weapon was gleaming but the numerous nicks along the impressive curve of the metre long blade bespoke a long and active history. Returning the blade to its sheath Emma gave the dagger a cursory examination and found it to be in similar shape. Both weapons lacked much in the way of ornamentation apart from matching inscriptions on the blades. Turning her attention from the bladed weapons Emma examined the other pair of weapons she had inherited. The first was a long barrelled weapon, nearly a metre and half in length, and made almost entirely out of a combination of brass coloured metal and in places what appeared to be crystal. The weapon had been oiled and polished and a compact scope was mounted on the weapon. Examining the firing mechanism Emma found it inordinately complex. From a cursory examination the weapon looked to keep its charge and bullet in separate compartments and as a result boasted a limited magazine capacity of perhaps five rounds. Emma guessed that it was designed to provide accurate and deadly fire rather than a volume of fire. Its companion was a compact and deadly looking pistol with an enormous bore. It was the exact opposite of the rifle, relying on a heavy projectile at close range. It too boasted a similar loading mechanism. Having examined the weapons the life of the Exarch seemed to make more sense to Emma. It was clear that what the crew feared most was boarding. The long barrel weapon was a concession to the need for long range firepower but it was also out of place with its close range fellows. Judging from the size and calibre of the firearms the xalun'tar were a fearsome foe indeed. Especially in light of the fact that the weapons' previous owner had fallen at their hands. Stowing the weapons and her macabre thoughts Emma headed for her shower intent on washing the trials of the day from her form.

After a rather unsatisfying wash – the shower was only sonic – Emma quickly searched through the drawers in hopes of finding something clean. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Inaa had been both clean and organized. Her trepidation at wearing clothing that had lately been someone else's had lost the battle against her exhaustion. With a sigh Emma completed her recollections of the day and rolled into the small bed, sleep taking her moments later.

Despite her exhaustion her rest was anything but restful. As Emma slept she dreamt and her dreams were far from pleasant. To begin with she had a dream of overseeing the destruction of an unremarkable blue planet. She stood at the head of a massive fleet of strange warships looking much like those she had seen when the archimandrite had invaded her mind. With a ruthless efficiency and certitude born of a confidence in a cause that was not her own she masterminded the various strikes across the planet. One by one the cities fell. Pockets of resistance were wiped out without mercy. Prisoners were carried off to meet their destinies and progress marched forward in the way it always had.

The dream had less of the feeling of a dream and more the feeling of certainty. The next dream also didn't feel like a dream but instead a memory. Emma found herself in what looked like the bridge of a ship. It was her ship she realized with a shock. It was also under attack. Someone off to her side was shouting at her but she couldn't seem to focus on the voice. To her side a console exploded in a blast of flame and sparks. Another voice announced that their shields had been compromised. The voice sounded almost the same as that of the AI, Sira. As Emma fought to regain control over her damaged vessel she saw her tormentor for the first time. It was a long obsidian nightmare of ship with tentacles at its bow belching beams of red light. One of the voices announced that the other ships were attempting to force them to crash on the nearby planet. Emma bellowed her defiance at that course of action but her protests were cut off by her console exploding. She was sent hurtling into a wall. She dully remembered someone hauling her back to her feet but couldn't make out any features. The other person was giving the order to abandon ship and Emma remembered attempting to stop her but being too weak. As she was dragged from the bridge she remembered seeing the fires of re-entry engulfing them. After that there was only the darkness of the escape pod followed by the cold darkness of the surface of Erebus.

As one nightmare ended another began and the two flowed together like an oily black wash. Once more Emma was aboard the battle damaged corridors of her ship. Fires blazed with merry abandon but to her mind they seemed to be there only for their aesthetic value. She idly wandered through the companionways towards her quarters. She knew that she was sure to find love and companionship there. A safe haven from the troubles around her. As she entered the cabin she found a figure facing away from her. As she approached the figure turned towards her. The other woman was very familiar and with a shock Emma realized that they had been lovers. With a graceful gesture the other woman held out her hand to Emma. With a smile Emma took it and everything changed. The light touch became a death grip and the hand engulfing hers became uncomfortably hot. Emma tried to let go but it was already too late. The figure before her was changing. It was no longer her lover but an indistinct shadow clinging to her. The figure changed again and this time it was something that Emma had never seen but knew instinctively. Holding on to her was one of the Xalun'tar. Easily much taller than her it regarded her with a twisted effigy of her lover's face. The grin grew wider as it brought its other clawed hand up to show her a single long blade. Emma shook her head in a silent plea to let her go as she tried to wrench her hand free. With a cool methodical precision the creature drew a single bladed finger across the top of Emma's hand leaving a single line of red in its wake. After that it let go of her.

As Emma collapsed to the ground she could already feel her body changing. Her mind was quickly slipping away, being subsumed into a mass of an alien consciousness.

"Now we can be together Emma." The abomination crooned to her. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Emma awoke with a wordless scream drenched in freezing sweat. She was alone. The room was dark and empty. Emma was so full of adrenaline that she found herself on her feet moments later. A small chronometer indicated that it was roughly 0200. She had been asleep for barely three hours. She also knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep again that night. The nightmare had been far too vivid and far to close to a premonition to shake easily. With a soft sigh Emma wandered into her washroom, showered, and wandered back out. Without paying much attention to what she was doing Emma dressed in a pair of dark pants, a tank top, and a uniform jacket, which she left open. The entire ensemble fit her almost perfectly. Yawning she shuffled out of her cabin and down the companionways to the mess.

Heedlessly Emma headed directly for the drink dispenser and hit the key for a cup of what the locals called kajja but what Emma would have described as a cross between hot chocolate and tea. She didn't even notice the mess hall's other occupant until she spoke.

"Having the nightmares already?" Sedna asked, her voice warm and soothing.

Emma nearly dropped her drink in surprise. She had almost expected to never see Sedna again. Sedna quickly interpreted Emma's surprise.

"I'm assigned to watch over your mental health as much as watch over your physical health." Sedna explained easily. "Nightmares definitely count as a threat to you mental health when they keep you from getting rest."

Emma eased herself into a seat opposite Sedna. "How do you know that I had a nightmare?" She asked suspiciously.

"Because when I first got here I had them too." Sedna answered. "Only I didn't have anyone to talk to."

"I'm sorry Sedna." Emma replied, hanging her head in shame. "It's been a rough night. Those dreams were so vivid."

"I know. I won't waste our time trying to get you tell me what they were about. Reliving them is just needless."

"Is it always like this?" Emma asked, turning her gaze to Sedna as though seeking some glimmer of hope to lift her spirits.

"Not always. Some nights you can get an uninterrupted rest. Some of the crew have to take sedatives regularily." Sedna answered. "Some of them have turned to more creative solutions."

"Creative?" Emma asked, confused by the response.

"Creative is a term we apothecaries use to describe everything from herbal remedies to behaviours like sleeping under beds." Sedna replied with a grin. "You would be surprised what I've heard of people doing for a good night's rest."

"Huh." Emma replied noncommittally despite the fact that she was very much in agreement with the statement.

"You know," Sedna began hesitantly, "There is one way that the people on this ship have taken to getting a good night's rest."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Emma asked as she set her mug down.

"Most of this ship's crew has made 'arrangements' to ensure that they don't have to go wandering all over the ship to find someone to talk to when they have a nightmare." Sedna explained cryptically.

Emma blinked and then scratched her head. Surely Sedna didn't mean what she thought she meant. "You don't mean to say?"

"Let's just say that most people who wake up at night don't wake up alone." Sedna answered with a sly smile.

Emma barely contained her laughter with a snort. "What ever helps you sleep at night I suppose."

"Indeed." Sedna replied laughing.

As their laughter gradually abated Emma noticed a slight twinkle in Sedna's eye.

"You know a suspicious person might take what you just said to be an invitation." Emma remarked casually.

"Maybe it was."

"If I didn't know better I would think that you were trying to take advantage of me, Apothecary." Emma replied clearly enunciating Sedna's title.

"Oh I don't think that you're the one being taken advantage of here Emma." Sedna responded focussing her gaze on Emma. "If anything I would say you were the one doing the taking."

"And just what am I taking?" Emma murmured huskily.

Sedna had just opened her mouth to reply when a loud alarm cut her off. Her expression changed from one of coy anticipation to outright terror.

"The boarding alarm!" Sedna whispered, the colour draining from her face.

Emma was on her feet in an instant, all thought of seduction banished from her mind. A boarding alarm meant only one thing. The xalun'tar were among them.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: We're back to the Miranda arc for the next two chapters and you can expect a lot to happen. As a little taste of what's to come you can expect to find out more about Juno and for Kai Leng (the Cerberus assassin that Shepard had a run in with on Omega) to make an appearance(though not in this chapter). While reading pay attention to Juno's artifact - its name will be significant. Bonus points for guessing the broader connotation of the artifact. I was also pleased to see four very nice reviews of the last chapter. Reviews are what keep me writing. As always enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter VI: Forgotten Wounds

Location: SSV Normandy En-Route to Noveria

Time: 1500 Ship Time

It had been two days since Miranda and Juno had escaped from Hock's mansion with their 'specialist'. The mission had left the mansion devastated and Hock dead. It had also left Miranda with a newfound suspicion concerning her erstwhile employer Juno. Juno's vessel had been of particular interest to Miranda. While she wasn't an engineer or a naval architect Miranda was able to tell advanced technology when she saw it. The vessel had an impressive array of stealth technology including a sophisticated visual masking system which was an advance that many vessels lacked. During her tenure with Cerberus the technology had been studied and deemed to be impractical and almost impossible to use on a platform such as a ship for any useful period of time. Juno or her superiors had obviously come up with a means of solving the power problem that prevented the technology's use. The vessel's main computer was also a point of interest. Several times during the return flight Juno had manipulated various systems on the ship with even touching a control. The only other person that Miranda had seen perform a feat like had been her missing friend and former CO, Shepard. In Juno's case Miranda now had a deep seated suspicion that the woman had access to either Reaper technology or a cache of technology from the Protheans. Miranda's suspicions paled in comparison to her frustration at being dragged around after the other woman.

When they had returned to Miranda's residence Juno had simply informed her that she would be meeting her tomorrow at the Normandy's docking bay. With that she had left with her ship leaving Miranda and Kasumi staring after her. Miranda couldn't help but reflect that the entire situation had, at least, given her the opportunity to catch up on old times with Kasumi.

The next morning Miranda and Kasumi had arrived at the dilapidated warehouse that served as cover for the _Normandy_. To her surprise and anger Juno was already there securing her vessel to the Normandy via a set of docking clamps. Miranda had been about to harshly reprimand her when Juno had reminded her, with a blithely calm tone, that they had a long way to go. When Miranda had asked where they were going Juno's only response had been an enigmatic smile. That had been a day ago. Since then Miranda had busied herself with bringing EDI back to full operational status, not that the improved AI needed much work, and with piloting the Normandy towards a nexus of out of the way mass relays which would take them to their destination. For her part Juno had been reclusively locked away in the executive officer's cabin. Juno's behaviour had been steadily grating on Miranda's nerves and she had made up her mind to confront Juno on her own turf if only to ruffle the other woman's feathers.

It was with those thoughts in her mind that Miranda made her way to Juno's cabin. Composing herself Miranda hit the call button. There was no response. Miranda waited for several minutes her ire building with each moment.

"EDI is she actually in there?" Miranda exclaimed irritably.

EDI appeared at Miranda's side with the same petite avatar that Sira had given her almost three years before. "Indeed she is Miranda. She does not appear to have acknowledged your presence."

"That much is apparent." Miranda replied snidely. "Can you override the door control? I need to talk to her."

"The door is open Miranda. The choice to go through it is yours." EDI replied.

Miranda blinked at EDI's statement. It sounded suspiciously like the AI knew something that she didn't or had become a philosopher in her spare time.

"Thank you EDI." Miranda replied as she considered the door. "And EDI, I'm sorry if I snapped at you."

"I appreciate that Miranda." EDI replied knowingly before disappearing.

After an instant of indecision Miranda hit the door control door and stepped into the cabin. None of the lights in the room were on but the room was far from dark. Sitting on the desk before her was a softly glowing orb. The orb itself caught Miranda's eye immediately. It also sent a shiver down her spine. With a whisper across her mind Persephone cautioned her to be careful. Taking part of Persephone's warning to heart Miranda slowly approached the orb. It remained inert and continued to glow softly. As she considered the orb Miranda unconsciously reached out to touch it. The effect of her touch was instantaneous – the orb split into seven petals which quickly pressed themselves into the desk. The material of the now flattened orb flowed like quicksilver until it had rearranged itself into a bowl-like shape. Miranda drew back as the orb completed its transformation. The orb's glow had almost dissipated when the air above the orb burst into colour. Hovering above the orb was an immensely complex interface in a completely alien language. Portions of the interface displayed maps and blueprints while other sections displayed layers of graphs, plots, and tables of written information. It was all totally indecipherable to Miranda.

"An impressive sight isn't it Miranda?" Juno questioned.

Miranda spun from her gaze of the hologram to find Juno standing in front of the room's single viewport. The starlight behind her and the light of the projection gave Juno an unearthly appearance.

"What is this?" Miranda interrogated, swiftly recovering both her equilibrium and her irritation.

"Since telling you the truth now will save me the trouble of doing it later and since the truth won't make any sense to you anyway I'll tell you what it is." Juno answered softly. "That is the Silentium Memoriae sometimes called the Quietus."

"That's Latin isn't it?" Miranda interjected.

"Very good. You can translate it yourself. I translated the orb's name from its original language into a form that you are familiar with. The orb is an immensely complex data storage module based on molecular computing. The information in the module is encoded directly into the atomic structure of the object."

"Where did you find it?" Miranda asked, springing the question that she hoped would eliminate some of the ambiguity that surrounded Juno.

"That certainly would be giving the game away." Juno chided lightly. "Suffice it to say that I received the orb from a friend. I owe a great deal to that friend and they asked me to keep it safe. The orb also assists me by providing data."

"And this friend of yours wouldn't happen to be a big black warship bent on eliminating the galaxy?" Miranda joked dryly, though the question was only partially a joke.

"Indeed it was. You've found my dark secret. I'm a Reaper agent, here to eliminate all sentient life." Juno replied in a totally matter of fact manner.

Miranda's mouth dropped open.

"You should see your face." Juno giggled between bouts of laughter. "To think that I was actually a Reaper agent. Hilarious!"

"Considering I know very little about you it did seem possible." Miranda said, with a hint of bitterness.

"A girl isn't entitled to her secrets?" Juno queried with a mock pout. "If memory serves you had quite a few of your own."

"I get the feeling that you already know all my secrets." Miranda replied acidly.

"Maybe." Came Juno's noncommittal answer.

"Care to redress the disparity in information then?"

"Not particularly. I have the feeling that the information disparity will take care of itself."

Miranda's next comment was interrupted by Kasumi's arrival in the room.

"Ms. Goto good. I see everyone has arrived for the briefing." Juno greeted in a totally businesslike tone. All trace of her playful disposition disappeared. With a wave the Quietus' hologram changed to a display of a planetary system. "As both of you will have guessed this is our destination: Noveria. More specifically we will be arriving in Port Hanshan and travelling from there to the Cord-Hislop research facility on the Northern continent." The projection changed to an image of the facility. "Our target at the facility is the facility's data cores. I have it one reliable authority that the data cores function as a Cerberus data haven. Information about financial resources, advanced projects, day to day operations and threat assessments will all be present. The information is enough to make us all very very rich but, more importantly, will allow us to proceed to the next phase of our mission."

"How do you propose we get into the facility?" Miranda interrupted. "If it is a Cerberus data haven then it will be heavily guarded."

"That is where you fit in Miranda. You were a Cerberus operative for several years. You know their protocols and procedures." Juno answered, confidently.

"I might have been Cerberus but in their eyes I'm a traitor. The moment my DNA or image shows up on their security system they'll know who I am. Infiltrating the base would be a suicide mission."

"Hardly." Juno laughed. "I'm surprised at you Miranda. You think I don't have all the angles covered? The facility will be experiencing a comm disruption. Before it experiences its comm disruption it will receive a packet of encrypted data deleting all reference to Miranda Lawson from its database. In her place will be Rhada Spence, ostensibly a senior manager from the Cord-Hislop board of directors conducting an audit of the facility. In reality our Rhada is a Cerberus agent tasked with extracting data and checking up on the projects at the facility."

"And I suppose this Rhada Spence looks like me and has the same DNA as me." Miranda grumbled.

"We don't all get a cushy position like yours Miranda." Juno chided. "Kasumi, you will be posing as a recently hired data entry tech. I will be serving as Miranda's assistant as usual."

"Looks like someone enjoys your company Miri." Kasumi deadpanned, ignoring Miranda's withering glare.

Juno gave Kasumi a wink before continuing her briefing. "I have prepared detailed dossiers on both of your legends. You will have ample time to get into character before we arrive. Since the Normandy is a rather well known vessel we will be taking my ship. The Normandy will drop us off outside the sensor range of Noveria and will then wait for our signal. I'm confident that EDI is more than capable of handling that responsibility. Once we land Kasumi will blend into the regularly scheduled shuttle to the facility and take up her duties. While Kasumi is making her way to the facility the two of us will make direct contact with the company's rep at Port Hanshan. He will arrange our transportation and accommodation at the facility.

Once we have arrived we will each have our objectives. Kasumi, I want you to infiltrate the security system. We want it under our complete control by the time we leave. Miranda your objective will be to investigate the special projects sector of the complex. We need to know what Cerberus is up to. Anything that might be useful to our venture or might compromise us should be taken or destroyed. I will be in charge of extracting the data from the facility's database. Each of us will work separately on our objects and we are to keep abnormal contact to minimum."

"Meaning that you two won't have anything to do with me." Kasumi mock pouted.

"Unfortunately yes. For Miranda and myself we should maintain a professional distance though I doubt that will be very difficult. Our timeframe is three days. By day two I want that security system to be under our control. On day three we will initiate phase two of our strategy. I intend to stage a false emergency. After the facility has been evacuated I intend to rig the reactor to overload thereby causing significant harm to Cerberus and at the same time eliminating all evidence of our presence."

"You haven't told us what we're going after." Miranda interjected. "You seem to be taking great pains to keep us out of the loop."

"If you are trying to force my hand then so be it." Juno conceded, a hint of irritation playing across her features. "Cerberus is hoping to organize a mission into the Maelstrom Nebula. I don't need to tell you that the Nebula is a serious shipping hazard. Cerberus has come across some intelligence pointing to the presence of a facility inside the nebula dating back from before the Protheans and perhaps even before the Reapers. Cerberus believes that such a facility would give them a strategic advantage in terms of technology and intelligence."

"So where do you fit in?" Miranda questioned, doggedly pursuing her line of questioning.

"My associates and I have confirmed the location of the facility but we lack a means of getting there. We are also aware that you encountered a similar spatial phenomenon in your time as Shepard's XO. This makes you the logical choice as an asset for this mission."

"So what do you know about the facility?"

"Very little. What we know will remain secret until we are sure of your loyalties." Juno held up her hand to still Miranda's protests. "You will note that I have not asked you for details of your past experiences with Shepard. I respect your need for privacy and I ask you to respect mine, at least for the time being."

"Fine." Miranda growled. Miranda was far from simply accepting Juno's proposal.

"I would suggest that you both consult the dossiers that I have prepared for you. We will be arriving in two days time and I expect you to be ready by that point."

Two days later almost to the minute the team was landing on Noveria. As Miranda took in the frozen wasteland of the planet through the hangar's open entrance she found herself wondering what Shepard had thought of the planet when she had arrived there. Looking back on what had happened to Shepard, Miranda had the nasty feeling that despite Juno's precisely planning and impeccable preparation that she hadn't planned for all the possibilities. Shepard and her crew hadn't expected to find a long extinct species waiting for her on the planet and Miranda could only guess at what was waiting for her on the planet.

"You seem awfully quiet Miri." Kasumi remarked as she ambled down the boarding ramp from Juno's ship.

"You know Shepard came here once when she was tracking down Saren?" Miranda said, evading the unspoken question.

"No. What did Saren want with Noveria?" Kasumi answered genuinely surprised.

"He was searching for a path to Ilos. Apparently he thought he could find what he was looking for here." Miranda concluded as her gaze fell upon Juno.

"All set?" Juno asked calmly as she joined the pair at the bottom of the ramp.

"See you two on the flip side." Kasumi answered as she disappeared into the ether.

"So it's just the two of us now." Miranda remarked.

"Not exactly Miss Spence." Juno replied gesturing at an approaching businessman.

"Miss Spence and Miss Riti a pleasure to meet both of you. I'm Conrad Neiman Cord-Hislop's VP in charge of special projects." The new arrival concluded his introduction with a dazzling smile full of perfect white teeth.

_I'm surprised he isn't the VP in charge of dental __hygiene. _Persephone remarked snidely to Miranda.

"I think I speak for both myself and Ms. Spence when I say that it is a pleasure to be here for both of us. I assume you know why we're here." Juno answered smoothly.

"You will be conducting an audit of our facility, is that correct?" Conrad said hesitantly.

"That is correct Mr. Neiman. My assistant will be handling the audit of your records while I will be viewing your special projects and auditing them on the basis of their progress." Miranda interjected in a cold tone. "We have had a long journey and I didn't come all this way to be questioned by functionaries. We have a job to do and the quicker we can get to it the better a result you will receive. Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

"Of course." Conrad replied in a harried tone. "Please follow me. I have an executive shuttle down the way for you. We can be at the facility in an hour."

Neiman hurriedly made a beeline for the door in a desperate attempt to put distant between himself and Miranda's cutting mouth. Juno raised a single eyebrow but said nothing. The trio made quick progress through the large docking bay towards a rather unassuming corporate shuttle. As the three climbed into the shuttle Miranda noticed a large transport shuttle bearing Cord-Hislop markings lifting off from a nearby pad. With any luck Kasumi was on her way to the facility as well.

The shuttle ride was uneventful. Neiman attempted to make light conversation but one glance from Miranda convinced him that the view through the shuttle's window was infinitely more interesting than his travelling companions. Fifty minutes into the flight to the Cord-Hislop facility hove into view. The building was a massive complex built directly into the side of a mountain. A large white tower emerged from the mountain top and was festooned with aerials. It seemed to Miranda that they were in the right place. The shuttle began its descent and soon they were engulfed in white snow clouds, totally obscuring the view of the facility. The shuttle touched down moments later in a pristine, white hangar bay.

"Right then welcome to our facility. I'll show you to your quarters where you can get freshened up." Neiman said as he opened the shuttle's hatch. "Your assistant will be right next door to you should you need anything."

Just as Miranda was nodding her assent she felt a strange sensation materialize in the base of her skull. It was halfway between a buzz and white noise. She blinked in confusion but neither Neiman nor Juno seemed to notice it. Shaking her head she tried her best to ignore it. The trio made quick progress through the pristine white hallways of the facility. Various technicians and clerks hurried by them without so much as word. There was something unnerving about their silence and concentration on their tasks. After a quick trip up several levels Miranda was shown to her quarters. The quarters themselves were neatly maintained but spartan. A single picture of a large freighter adorning one wall and a single vase of flowers on a table constituted the extent of the room's decoration. The bed, table and chairs were all very functional and bespoke an emphasis on work rather than relaxation. The atmosphere was similar to what Miranda had experienced throughout much of her life as a Cerberus agent. As Miranda sat down in one of the chairs the buzz returned. Irritated she rose to try and get it out of her head.

_Miranda. _Persephone's 'voice' sounded worried.

_What's happening? What is that feeling? _Miranda replied anxiety beginning to take hold of her as the sensation gradually began to develop.

_You're being exposed to a low level resonance field. _Persephone explained. _The field is attempting to match the frequency of the electrical impulses in your brain._

_Mind control?_ Miranda questioned.

_Yes. I can shield you for a __day perhaps two but you have to find the source of the field and shut it down_. Persephone replied hastily. _Blocking the field will take all of my attention so you'll have to do without me._

Persephone's voice and presence faded away moments later along with the buzz. Miranda let out a sigh of relief. Whatever was happening at the facility was far from normal. Miranda quickly headed for the door and palmed it open. A pair of armoured security guards were standing outside. Miranda's heart leapt into her mouth at the sight of the two. She was now almost certain that her false identity had been compromised. One of the guards turned towards her.

"Ma'am we're going to have to ask you to stay in your quarters. There has been a minor accident on one of the lower levels involving one of the eezo cores. You need to stay put while our staff enacts clean up procedures and ensures the facility is safe." The guard informed her in a bored monotone.

Miranda blinked in surprise. The guards weren't there for her. Her relief quickly subsided when she realized that the effect was the same. She was trapped and she had fair inkling that the excuse the guards had trotted out was a phony. Despite her realization there seemed to be little point in trying to force the issue with the guards. Miranda retired back into her room with a careful nod of understanding to the guards.

Surveying the room Miranda realized there was little for her to do. Breaking out of the room by force or by stealth would certainly compromise her false identity. At the same time she the longer she delayed the more chance the neural field had of adapting itself to Persephone's defence. Miranda decided that she would give the guards two hours before she would break out. The time would give her an opportunity to nap so that she would be fresh when the moment came.

Miranda's grey eyes flew open. Throwing the bedclothes off she started to her feet in an attempt to find out what had disturbed her rest. Her first instinct was to go for the pistol in her briefcase but a strangled groan in the darkness made her reconsider. Flicking on the light beside her bed she was shocked to discover the still form of one of the guards laying a pool of his own blood. Without further ado Miranda rushed for her briefcase only to find that her pistol was missing. Her next move was to check over the dead guard to see if he was still alive and whether or not he had a weapon. To her disappointment he was dead and unarmed. Heading for her closet Miranda hastily pulled on a robe to guard herself against the chill of the room. As she was hauling out her clothing she heard the groan again. Spinning around she found a dark humanoid shape staring at her from the room's bathroom. The light behind the figure made it impossible to tell what or who it was. Throwing the clothes in her hand at the creature Miranda made a break for the door. The creature was after her in a second batting aside the clothing without a second thought. Miranda hit the door control and was through in an instant but the creature was in hot pursuit. A glance over her shoulder revealed what she had feared – the creature was a husk, the foot soldier of the Reapers.

Fortunately for Miranda there was an elevator at the end of her hallway and the elevator was open, its light a welcome beacon of safety. Miranda threw herself into the elevator hitting a random button as she did so. The doors slammed shut and the elevator began to descend leaving the husk behind. Miranda let out a ragged sigh of relief and settled into a sitting position to catch her breath. She paid little attention to numbers indicating her rapid descent into the bowels of the facility.

All too quickly the elevator pinged and the doors whisked open. The sight that confronted Miranda was of a long dark hallway lit by intermittently flickering lights. Like any sane person confronted with a dark foreboding hallway with nothing but a patterned robed and night clothes for protection Miranda stabbed the button for the landing bay intent on leaving the facility behind her. The elevator didn't budge. She hit the button again with the same result. Letting out a grim sigh Miranda stepped out of the elevator. It appeared as though she was going to have to find another way out of the facility. Miranda made slow and cautious progress down the hallway the whisper of her robe the only sound. At the end of the hallway she found a massive bulkhead door of the type used for radiation containment. The door was unmarked and undamaged. Miranda had a feeling that whatever was responsible for the chaos in the facility was residing behind the door. Without even the slightest urging the door rumbled open before her. A sparse decontamination area awaited her on the other side. Making her way through the decontamination area Miranda found herself in an observation gallery. Below her in the massive landing bay lay a dark shape. As she continued to look numerous banks of lights flickered to life throughout the hangar bay casting the shape into harsh relief. She was staring at the two kilometre long black hull of a Reaper.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter is certainly packed if I do say so myself. I won't spoil the surprises with a summary. So sit back and enjoy this chapter and make sure that you all review. After all we don't want Miranda dying now do we?

Chapter VII: Drowning in an Ocean of Night

The black vessel hung in the stillness of the hangar like an obsidian dagger. The scales had dropped from Miranda's eyes having seen the Reaper before her. The mystery of what had befallen the facility was now clear to her. Cerberus with its typical arrogance had recovered the vessel to study. Miranda's deductions were interrupted by the sound of clapping.

"An excellent deduction Miranda." A familiar throaty voice laughed.

Miranda spun to find that the room was empty. As she looked around her she heard a whisper to her side. As she turned she saw a flash of black cloth. Another whisper and another flash caused Miranda to spin in the opposite direction.

"Who are you?" Miranda shouted at the emptiness.

"Nought but all old friend gone these many years." The voice mocked with another laugh.

"Show yourself." Miranda ordered, mentally chiding herself for holding a conversation with a hallucination.

"If you need a shape to tell you what you already know in your heart then so be it." The voice purred.

An explosion of black flame erupted before Miranda which quickly resolved itself into the form of a person. The wraith was clad in a pair of black boots with a long coat enveloping the rest of her form. A crimson scarf at her neck contrasted with long hair the colour of freshly spilt blood. A pair of intelligent green eyes considered Miranda while the mouth below curled into a predatory smile.

"I see the past three years have been far kinder to you than they have been to me." The other murmured as she considered Miranda.

"Emma?" Miranda breathed in shock.

"Is that the name you choose to give me? A mere figment of your imagination brought on by indoctrination." Shepard chided her gaze never wavering from Miranda.

"You're not really here?" Miranda questioned urgently.

The wraith seemed to consider the question as she began to move towards Miranda. "Tell me Miranda, are you really here? Perhaps you're simply asleep?" Shepard offered. "Maybe I'm just a nightmare?"

Miranda shook her head unsteadily. "I know I'm awake."

"Then you have your answer." Shepard hissed in irritation. "Why do you seek to trouble me with foolish questions?"

"What are you?" Miranda interrogated as she backed away from the approaching apparition.

The wraith closed the distance in a flash of obsidian like a black viper. A single black gloved hand caught Miranda's wrist while the other flew to her face. It lingered there for a moment.

"Am I the Reaper that stands before you Miranda?" Shepard whispered, "Am I your friend? Or am I a ghost of the past here to ensure that you live up to your promise?"

"I don't know." Miranda stuttered.

"You had best think faster or I'll let the husks have you." Shepard's voice was scarcely louder than a deadly whisper.

"You're my friend." Miranda returned, her courage winning out over her fear.

Shepard let out a deep throaty laugh and released Miranda. She slowly ambled away from the other woman. "Right and wrong Miranda." Shepard said as she continued to laugh. "I am all three.

"You're a Reaper?" Miranda gasped.

"How very like you Miranda, to latch onto the threat first." Shepard growled. "I always was one of them only you were too blind to see it."

"This is a trick." Miranda shouted attempting to deny what the wraith had said.

"Deny it if you want." Shepard replied turning her head slightly.

"If you were really Shepard you wouldn't have said those things." Miranda attempted before she was interrupted by a venomous hiss from Shepard.

"Three years is a very long time. Three years to have my eyes opened. Three years to come to doubt everything I believed in." The wraith hesitated, its anger vanishing to be replaced with a hint of sorrow. It steeled itself before continuing. "I need you alive Miranda."

"Why?" Miranda asked, shocked by the wraith's sudden change in demeanour.

"Do not question my motives." The wraith snapped.  
>"I'm not going to be ordered around by some figment of my imagination." Miranda fired back.<p>

"This figment holds your life in her hand. You would be wise to remember that." The wraith cautioned.

"How do you propose to keep me alive then? The facility is probably crawling with husks. How they spread so quickly..." Miranda pondered.

"You really don't know then?" Shepard asked mockingly, "You have been unconscious for two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Miranda practically shouted.

"Kept alive by the kind attentions of you friend Juno." Shepard continued, "Two weeks of being exposed to the Reaper's field. You should be happy that indoctrination turned out to be me."

"Thrilled." Miranda snarled.

"Now if your quite finished being shocked you should get to work." Shepard growled, her own ire reflecting that of Miranda. "The husks will be here at any moment."

"Any suggestions on where I should go?" Miranda snapped.

"At your feet you'll find a hatchway into the service ducts. Your friend will find you the moment you leave the ducts. After that I hope I shan't have to intervene again!" With her final words the wraith dissolved into the darkness of the shadows leaving Miranda alone once more.

A distant thump against a hatchway galvanized Miranda into action. She quickly threw off her robe and hauled open the maintenance hatch. Without a second thought she climbed in and closed the hatch. The ducts were dark though the occasional dull emergency light kept them from being pitch black. Miranda made cautious progress through the tangled vents of the cooling system. Several times during her journey she was certain she could hear the rattling of something following her but she pressed on regardless. She had reached a junction in the ducting when the flooring gave way beneath her sending her plunging out of the ducting and into a storage room. Miranda landed with a loud thump alerting the room's other occupant. As she attempted to get her bearings she found Juno staring at her. What happened next surprised Miranda. Juno was on her in an instant giving her a tight hug.

"You're alive." Juno repeated over and over. Miranda remained silent, returning the hug, and she couldn't deny that it felt nice to be held after what she had been through. Eventually Juno broke the embrace.

"Nice to see you too Juno." Miranda answered softly.

"I thought you were dead." Juno groused as she composed herself.

"Well it seems like this place has certainly gone to hell while I've been out." Miranda remarked.

"Now there's the understatement of the year." Juno laughed nervously. She then reached into a pocket of her dirty jacket and threw Miranda a ration bar. "You must be hungry. You probably haven't eaten for the better part of two weeks."

As Miranda took an experimental bite of the bar something occurred to her. "If I've been unconscious for two weeks then why am I still alive?"

Juno averted her eyes and remained silent.

"What aren't you telling me Juno?" Miranda asked her voice dropping with worry.

"I don't regret what I did!" Juno shot back defiantly. "It was either that or let you die."

"Tell me what you did." Miranda ordered, worry giving way to anger.

"The residential level was swarming with the indoctrinated and those husks. I couldn't keep an eye on you while you were unconscious." Juno hesitated before continuing. "I had to inject a colony of nanites into you body to sustain you."

"You did what?" Miranda shouted. "Where did you find nanites to inject me with?"

"I had them." Juno offered unconvincingly.

With a primal growl Miranda threw herself at the other woman and drove her into the wall knocking the breath from her in a soft whuff of displaced air. Positioning an arm against Juno's larynx she began to exert pressure.

"Nanotechnology has been the bane of my existence. I saw what it did to Shepard and I saw what it did to my sister. It cost me both of them. Now I find out that you were planning to inject me even before we ever arrived here." Miranda raged.

"No! It wasn't like that!" Juno gasped before she was cut off by Miranda's arm.

"You tricked me. You've been playing me all along and now you're going to tell me exactly what you want from me."

"I can't." Juno choked out.

"You had better reconsider." Miranda snarled as she continued to choke the other woman.

"Please." Juno begged. "I did it to save you. I had no choice."

"Tell me why and I'll let you go." Miranda ordered as she eased her grip slightly.

Whatever Juno was going to say was interrupted by a loud rumble as something large thumped on the storage room door.

"What was that?" Miranda hissed in a low voice as she released Juno.

"A Scion probably," Juno rasped as she handed her pistol to Miranda. At Miranda's confused look Juno clarified. "A big husk with an EM cannon."

"Any way out of here?" Miranda asked as another thump resounded against the door.

Juno was already prying off a section of the wall. Miranda hastened over to help her lift the section of the wall away to reveal a concealed utility tunnel. The tunnel was barely large enough to accommodate a single person on their knees. Juno hastily shoved Miranda into the tunnel before following her. Miranda heard the door give way behind them.

"Move it Miranda! That thing might not be able to follow us but the husks can!" Juno shouted from behind her. Miranda needed no urging as she crawled through the tunnel.

What seemed like an eternity later the two ran up against another hatchway. With a lot of effort Miranda was able to lever the wall plate off allowing the two exhausted women to climb out of the tunnel. It seemed that they had exchanged the store room for what appeared to be a security check point. In a curious turn of good fortune the previous occupants of the checkpoint seemed to have abandoned it in mid operation. Most of the cameras were operational and the nearby equipment lockers were all full. As Miranda quickly slipped a set of armour over her dirty nightclothes she found herself keeping a close eye on Juno. Juno had busied herself with checking over the security logs and cameras. Juno's first hint that something was wrong was the soft touch of a gun barrel against her temple.

"I still want an answer to my question." Miranda whispered icily.

"You don't give up do you?" Juno sighed, an exhausted tremolo distorting her voice. "If I had known that you were going to do this to me I never would have bothered."

"Last chance." Miranda cautioned her, finger tightening on the trigger.

"Fine. I injected you with the nanites to ensure that I could trust you." Juno confessed.

"How do nanites help you to trust me?" Miranda prodded, her grip remaining tight on the trigger.

Juno turned to face Miranda ignore the pistol in her face. "I had to know your thoughts. I thought that knowing your hopes, fears and dreams would help me to better manipulate you." Juno confessed softly. "I didn't turn out that way."

Miranda felt bile rising in her throat. The other woman had betrayed her and confessed to violating her privacy for the sole purpose of making Miranda easier to manipulate.

"I'm sorry Miranda." Juno whispered, her face betraying the fact that she fully expected Miranda to shoot her and Miranda was prepared to do precisely that.

An eldritch growl caused Miranda to start violently. To her horror the wraith was back and it was standing next to Juno.

"You will not harm her Miranda." Shepard ordered.

"You can't stop me." Miranda shot back.

Confusion was written all over Juno's face as she watched Miranda talk to a patch of thin air.

"Do you really think you can survive without her?" Shepard asked a mocking smile forming on her face. "What did you do before Juno showed up?"

"I was being hunted. I had to hide." Miranda argued, her excuses sounding hollow even to her.

"You hid." Shepard concluded triumphantly. "You broke your word to me. You betrayed me confidence. You did all that because you found a nice comfortable hidey hole. You are a coward and a traitor."

"You liar!" Miranda spat back venomously.

"Worse still you're too stupid to see a chance for redemption staring you in the face." Shepard laughed.

"She isn't going to redeem me!" Miranda snorted gesturing in Juno's direction with the pistol.

"No she isn't but she will lead you to redemption." Shepard answered simply. "Are you really going to shoot your only chance for redemption?"

"I ..." Miranda trailed off as the apparition disappeared. She was left holding the pistol and staring at a worried looking Juno.

"Who were you talking to?" Juno asked, tentatively.

"You mean you didn't see her?" Miranda demanded angrily.

"I just saw you talking to thin air." Juno replied. "What happened? Who did you see?"

Miranda sucked in a great breath, held it, and then released it in a long sigh. "Just a spectre of the past." She let the arm holding the pistol drop to her side and let the pistol clatter to the ground. She felt utterly spent. Miranda turned unsteadily and wavered. Juno was at her side moments later easing her into a nearby chair. Miranda's head was swimming from the combination of adrenaline, fear and depression. Juno reappeared with a cup of water and handed it to Miranda.

"Are you alright?" Juno asked again, genuine concern was apparent on her face.

"I'm not sure." Miranda managed after taking a few sips of water. "I just saw Shepard."

"Emma Shepard?" Juno asked in surprise.

"I was hallucinating I get it." Miranda bristled, a trace of her ire reappearing before winking out like an ember of a dying fire. "It's probably some combination of those things you shot into my bloodstream or being exposed to the Reaper for so long."

"The nanites were supposed to protect you from the Reaper." Juno stated in a matter of fact tone. "These hallucinations must be coming from a different source. Perhaps it's some sort of unforeseen side effect."

"What about Kasumi? Did you give her the same protection?" Miranda asked, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice.

"I made sure that Kasumi got out of here on an escape shuttle." Juno said. "I'm not a complete monster."

"I'm sorry." Miranda apologized, half automatically. After a moment she realized it was the right thing to do. "Dealing with all of this is kind of rough. Dealing with it here is worse. Is there any way we can get out of here and maybe destroy the facility while we're at it?"

"The shuttle bay has been destroyed." Juno confessed. "I destroyed it to prevent the indoctrinated from escaping."

"So there's no other way out?" Miranda asked her hopes diminishing by the instant.

"There is a vehicle bay but we've been enveloped in a serious blizzard. We wouldn't be able to get 5 metres let alone the fifty kilometres to the next facility." Juno sighed.

"Basically were stuck here." Miranda concluded.

"At least this checkpoint seems secure enough." Juno added hopefully.

For the time being, Miranda thought but kept the comment to herself. Unfortunately for the two survivors their luck was fast running out.

The tense atmosphere had given way to an uneasy exhaustion as both had surrendered to their fatigue. Juno had taken the first watch and several hours later Miranda had taken her place watching the security monitors. For the most part a combination of husks and humans wandered the halls of the facility. Some were hard at work repairing the shuttle bay while others worked on the Reaper. Watching the security monitors was rather like watching a colony of ants at work. The monotony had almost lulled Miranda to sleep when she noticed the flash of weapons' fire on one of the monitors. As she watched more closely she saw armoured figures calmly mowing down husks. For a single instant Miranda felt relief however the feeling was short lived as she recognized the team for what it was. With their soullessly calm dispositions Cerberus cleanup teams were infamous for two things: efficiency and their complete and utter lack of morality. Every single Cerberus agent lived in perpetual fear of those teams. The members of a cleanup team operated under a single simple directive – liquidate all assets that may compromise the rest of the organization. The cleanup teams did not make a distinction between living and breathing assets and inanimate objects. They couldn't be reasoned with or even talked to and they were totally without mercy. Miranda was out of her seat in a second and shaking Juno awake.

"What is it?" Juno muttered, groggily.

"A Cerberus cleanup team." Miranda answered as she quickly set about raiding the equipment lockers for all the grenades and heatsinks she could carry. Juno wasted no time in quickly joining Miranda in stocking up on arms and armour.

"If they're here then they must have a vehicle." Miranda reasoned as she finished stocking up.

"A vehicle means that we can get out of here." Juno added, finishing Miranda's thought.

"We have one chance. The cleanup crew is going to be efficient and methodical meaning that they'll be going floor by floor killing anything that moves and destroying anything that may have a connection to Cerberus." Miranda explained, "There's a ventilation shaft that runs the height of the facility. We can climb down it and reach the vehicle bay on the lower level."

"It should be a straight shot from here to the central ventilation tunnel." Juno concluded as she finished checking over her shotgun. "Ready?"

Miranda gave her a tight nod and opened the exit hatch. The corridor outside was deserted – Miranda assumed the husks had been summoned back to defend the Reaper. The two women carefully wound their way through the deserted white corridors towards the central ventilation tunnel. The ventilation tunnel, in contrast to the spotless white hallways was a yawning abyss with walls of gunmetal grey. The moment they opened the hatchway the two were greeted with a gust of warm air and the howl of wind. Miranda climbed out onto the single ladder first and was followed by Juno. The ladder made Miranda feel painfully exposed as she descended floor after floor. At one point during the descent the two heard the approaching sound of gunfire. The sound only served as added incentive for the two to increase the pace of their descent down the ladder.

They were several floors from the bottom when they heard a hatch below them creak open. In slow motion Miranda watched a white armoured head poke out of the hatchway to survey the ventilation tunnel. The head looked down and then slowly looked up. There was not doubt in Miranda's mind that the soldier had seen them. Without a second thought she slide down the ladder towards the Cerberus operative. As she neared him she threw herself from the ladder into the agent. The white armoured operative was sent cartwheeling into the abyss of the ventilation tunnel while Miranda managed to grab hold of a trunk of exposed cables. She came to rough stop with a searing pain through her arms and thumped into the wall of the tunnel. As she reoriented herself she saw, to her horror, another operative leaning through the hatchway probing the darkness with his assault rifle. It would only be a matter of seconds before he saw her clinging to the cable trunk. As the light drew nearer she braced herself for the inevitable hail of gunfire and plunge into the blackness. The shots never came, instead there was a strangled grunt and another white armoured body sailed into the abyss. While the soldier had been distracted searching for Miranda Juno had quietly descended and then with a quick movement had thrown the soldier into the pit. As Miranda watched Juno selected a single incendiary grenade and threw the device through the open hatchway. The resulting explosion sent a lance of fire back through open hatchway. Miranda didn't wait to what happened next but instead crawled down the mass of cables towards the bottom of the ventilation tunnel.

The cables ended several floors above the vehicle bay and a dozen floors above the bottom of the tunnel. Fortunately for Miranda and her arms the cables deposited her into the facility's maintenance conduits. As Juno continued to descend Miranda was forced to take an unscheduled detour. The conduit was illuminated by the pulsing green light of several power junctions which only served to make the journey even more nerve-wracking for Miranda. The conduit came to its end in a large server room. The room was also nearly dark, illuminated only by several status displays and a large haptic terminal in the centre of the room. The room's other occupant – the cleanup crew's technician - was absorbed in hacking the facility's computer systems and never even noticed Miranda until it was much too late. With quick snap the unfortunate tech was left dead and Miranda was left with access to the facility's computer systems. The technician had been midway through backing up the facility's data storage onto a set of OSDs when Miranda had interrupted him. A bundle of C-9 explosives indicated what the technician had planned for the servers. Miranda decided to let the data transfer continue and quickly secured the area. As soon as the console had finished its task Miranda snatched up the OSDs and set the explosives' timer for five minutes. At least the detonation would provide her with a distraction, she reasoned.

Miranda had just left the server room when she caught a flash of movement in her peripheral vision. Far too late she spun to confront the movement. The butt of a rifle impacted squarely on her helmet sending her reeling back against the wall. Seconds later strong arms had seized her and forced her down onto her knees. As Miranda's world swam back into focus she felt her helmet being yanked off - the unfiltered light momentarily blinding her. As she squinted she was able to make out a pair of white armoured figures flanking a single black armoured figure without a helmet. As Miranda focused she recognized the figure in the centre, the scarred Asian face of the man identified him as none other than Kai Leng, the Illusive Man's top wetwork agent. Miranda shuddered, she had always despised Leng and found him to be the epitome of everything that had been wrong with Cerberus. His indulgence in pain and violence had always struck her as unnecessary but now as the one on the receiving end it took on an entirely new dimension.

"Miranda Lawson." Leng exclaimed in surprise. "This was certainly unexpected."

Miranda remained silent.

"We're on the clock so I want you to tell me what you were doing here." Leng ordered coldly. "I won't insult you by saying that I'll let you live but I will make it quick."

"If you're on the clock Leng that means you want be able to _indulge_ yourself." Miranda spat, mocking the assassin.

Leng's response was to take two swift steps towards her and deliver a solid blow to Miranda's face with the back of his armoured gauntlet. Miranda tasted blood as her head rolled to the side.

Leng leaned in closer until his mouth was almost next to Miranda's ear. "I may be on the clock but I can certainly make time for you."

The soft snick of metal against metal alerted Miranda to the fact Leng was preparing to make good on his threat. With a slight flourish Leng brought the blade of his combat knife into Miranda's field of vision.

"Last chance Miranda, tell me why you're here." Leng commanded, clearly hoping that Miranda would remain silent.

Miranda only stared back defiantly. Leng moved quickly and in a moment had rammed the knife through Miranda's armour and into her shoulder. The breath exploded from Miranda's lungs in a strangled grunt as pain enveloped her. Leng had left the knife in place as he watched Miranda gasp for breath.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Leng taunted sadistically.

Leng was surprised when his response came in the form of a globe of saliva. "That's what I think of you and the Illusive Man." Miranda snarled.

Leng's face coloured with rage and he seized hold of the hilt of the knife, still lodged in Miranda's shoulder. With cruel precision he rotated the knife sending a fresh wave agony through Miranda's form. A strangled sob escaped Miranda's lips as she fought to stay conscious.

"Most people can't take too much of this." Leng mused as he watched the crimson rivulets of blood make their way down Miranda's armour. "Even ones who have been trained to resist torture. Tell me what I want to know."

Miranda gritted her teeth and shook her head. She would be damned if she was going to reveal anything to Cerberus.  
>"If only my orders weren't so clear." Leng sighed as he pulled the knife out of Miranda's shoulder. "Illusive Man was very specific. No survivors."<p>

The knife flashed in the light of the hallway as Leng drove it into Miranda's stomach. The final impact was too much for her and she let out a howl of pain.

"You have about 25 minutes before you pass out from blood loss." Leng stated clinically. "Twenty five minutes in your condition can seem like an eternity. Tell me what I want to know and I can speed you along."

Miranda barely even heard Leng as she attempted to cope with her wounds. Black spots danced across her vision as she struggled against the grip of her captors. Her efforts were interrupted as Leng seized her by the chin and painfully tilted her head back to stare at her.

"She won't tell us anything." One of the other operatives opined in an indifferent monotone. "We're wasting time here."

Leng let her head go with a disgusted look. "Fine." He spat. "You two follow me. You finish her off and then proceed with sweeping the rest of the floor for stragglers."

Miranda was released seconds later and collapsed into a heap on the decking. Departing foot falls told her that Leng was leaving. An armoured foot casually rolled her onto her back giving her a view of the ceiling. A shadow passed across her sight as the operative drew his pistol. The barrel foreshortened until she was staring squarely down it. Miranda took one last breath. A single shot rang out.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: After a long hiatus we're finally back. While Miranda's having a rough time Emma isn't exactly on a walk through the park. In a related note a gray is a real unit of measurement for radiation. For a frame of reference more than 30 grays is lethal in under 48hrs while 5 grays is lethal in 14 days. With that said on with the story.

Chapter VIII: Radiation

_Power Systems Utilized Aboard Type IX Landships_

_Extracted from the Operator's Manual_

_Note - Shipboard engineering is a dangerous job but by observing proper safety precautions 99% of accidents can be avoided. Remember all engineering personnel must wear a type 23 radiation suit while working in engineering spaces._

_**Basic Operation**_

_The standard power generation system aboard all type IX landships is a phoros catalyzed reactor core. It operates on a standard (primitive) thermal design. The dense packet of phoros molecules reacts with the reactor fuel elements inducing atomic fusion which in turn generates large amount of heat. This heat is passed into the fluid moderator of the primary coolant loop which turns the fluid to steam. This steam is passed to the secondary loop where the heat acts upon the fluid system to create a chemical and atomic reaction generating power which can be piped to any part of the ship. This reaction caused by the intense heat also results in the secondary coolant loop becoming slightly radioactive. Direct contact with any reactor fluid is strongly discouraged as radiation poisoning or instant death may result._

Location: LD09 Acheron, Styges Quarter

Time: 0230 Shipboard

It was Emma who made the first move, Sedna remained rooted to the spot – out of fear or surprise Emma couldn't say. Without thinking she seized her companion by the hand and headed for the control centre. With any luck they would find safety and more importantly a more detailed view of their current predicament there.

The control centre was anything but calm when they reached it. Kava had taken command and was shouting orders at the top of his lungs just to be heard over the alarms and the shouts of the other crewmembers. He didn't even notice Emma until she was at his side shaking him urgently.

"What's our situation?" She shouted in an effort to make herself heard.

"We're under attack by an unknown number of Xalun'Tar. We've got boarders in the engineering section and defences have been compromised in two of the other quarters." Kava responded distractedly.

"Shut off those damned alarms so we can think." Emma bawled, her patience fast eroding from the stress. Someone obeyed her moments later. "Status on the hull and our weapons systems?" She queried in the newfound quiet.

"The hull in our section hasn't been compromised and our weapons are operating at peak efficiency. For some reason the Fallen don't seem to be attacking us with the same zeal." Kava reported.

"You can bet that won't last." Emma shot back. "I assume we can't beat back the fallen with force of arms alone?"

"No ma'am. The autarch has ordered an escape course be plotted. Unfortunately we have a problem." Kava answered as he led Emma over to the navigation plot. "In order to make good our escape we have to lay down a barrier of fire behind us. This isn't really our problem since we're on the port side and only a limited number of our weapons can be brought to bear. The problem is that the weapons needed to lay down the covering fire are located on the Citadel of the vessel. We have a combination of unguided rockets and mortars for just that purpose. They unfortunately take a lot of power to operate."

"And they don't have power right now?" Emma guessed.

Kava nodded tightly. "Whatever's going on in the engineering section is compromising our ability to escape. It's only a matter of time before it compromises our ability to even move."

"Sira, you're linked to the ship what's the status of the power systems?" Emma commanded.

"Power levels are dropping. Current levels are only sufficient for normal operation of ship systems." Sira reported after a moment's concentration.

"What is the cause of the problem?" Kava interrupted.

"Reactor catalyst has been removed. Power is only being generated by the decay heat of the reactor. The heat generation process ceased approximately 15.3 minutes ago." Sira answered.

"What's the catalyst?" Emma asked in confusion.

"The catalyst is a cylinder of concentrated phoros which is injected directly into the reactor core and is responsible for creating and sustaining the fusion reaction within the core." Sira explained. "The catalyst is highly radioactive and contact with it is not recommended."

"If the catalyst has been removed then we don't stand a chance." Kava opined grimly. "This is their standard operating procedure. They cripple our power systems and take whatever they want before leaving us to die."

The command centre had gone deathly quiet at Kava's statement. Emma looked around her and saw the fear in each being's eyes. Her mind was made up in that instant.

"If that reactor needs to be restarted then we have to restart it." Emma said. "We can't count on anyone else to do it. I need as many of the crew as we can spare. Kava you take command here. Keep those guns firing until the last possible moment! Anyone not staying get whatever weapons you can carry and meet me at the hatch to the citadel as quickly as you can."

As several of the crew left to carry out Emma's orders Sedna accosted her. "What do you want me to do?"

"You're coming with us. We're going to need a medic." Emma replied simply. "Grab whatever gear you need from wherever you can find it."

Sedna nodded leaving Emma to hurry back to her quarters. It was the work of several minutes to seize the sword and pistol and as much ammunition as she could carry. Minutes later she met up with her motley strike force at the hatchway. She was disappointed to find that only ten sentients including Sedna, Skara and herself were present. The rest of the team were all unknown to her and brandished a collection of pistols, shotguns, and blades. As Emma triggered the mechanism on the massive door Skara wordlessly handed her an armoured gauntlet. At Emma's questioning look she replied that it was an interface gauntlet and left it at that.

As the team crossed back into the central section of the Acheron Emma realized that she had no idea where she was going. As unobtrusively as possible she relocated herself to Sedna's side.

"Sedna, do you know where the engineering section is?" Emma whispered urgently.

"Of course. You don't know?" Sedna whispered back.

"What do you think?" Emma hissed back before raising her voice. "You're on point with me Sedna. Skara take our six. The rest of you stay close."

At the front of the line Sedna shot Emma a withering glare but she ignored it as they continued through the companionways. They had to descend four decks before Sedna informed them that they had reached the engineering deck. It was not long after their arrival that they found the first bodies. Littering the hallways were the corpses of what Emma guessed to be the citadel section's marine contingent. The bodies were so badly disfigured that it was impossible to tell even what species they were. It was at that moment that Emma was glad she had Skara in the rear to dissuade anyone from returning the way they had come. In perfect truth it was all she could do to keep herself moving forward. Their progress forward was silent except for the soft squelch their footfalls made.

The engineering section was already sealed when they finally arrived. Examining the hatchway Emma realized that something had welded the hatch shut.

"Well that's it then." One of the team sighed. "The door is sealed shut."

"There must be another way through." Emma growled, unwilling to be stopped so easily.

"The engine core uses a liquid cooling system." Sira answered springing into existence on the top of Emma's gauntlet. "There should be an access panel in the maintenance area below us."

"Are you insane?" Sedna exclaimed in shock, "The liquid cooling system is radioactive. Whoever goes in there won't be the same after that. They might not even survive it."

"The liquid cooling system is the only remaining point of access into the engine room." Sira repeated. "I did not say that it was safe."

"If it's a choice between radiation poisoning and certain death I'll take the poisoning." Emma concluded with a certainty that she didn't feel. "Let's head for that maintenance access."

The rest of the team regarded her uneasily for several seconds before heading back the way they had come. The group came to a stop at a ladder. No a single person made any move to descend.

"What is it?" Emma asked in confusion.

"It's like this ma'am." One of the group spoke up. "We don't want to go down there. We've heard about what happens to the engineers on these ships."

"What happens to them?" Emma asked, now completely confused.

"He's referring to the fact that engineers on ships like this have a survival probability of 15% for a tour of duty." Sedna answered in a low voice. "I would know, I've had to 'treat' several of them on this trip alone."

"We'd rather take our chances on the surface or with Fallen Ones." The spokesman added.

His words were interrupted by the sound of a gun cocking. "Disobeying your exarch is punishable by immediate execution." Skara hissed, her voice scarcely above a whisper. "Are you disobeying the exarch Zax?"

"No ma'am." Zax replied sullenly.

The structure of Emma's new world suddenly made a lot more sense. Her crew was kept in line by the promise of summary execution. It also seemed that mutiny was a constant danger. Emma made her decision quickly.

"Skara, you and the rest of the team will stay here and guarded this access point. I will use the cooling system to gain access to the engine room. If I can I'll try to open the hatchway for you."

"Exarch I must protest." Skara interrupted angrily. "You are too valuable to waste on such an enterprise."

"Are you intending to disobey my order Skara?" Emma asked, her voice taking on a steely tone.

"No ma'am." Skara answered, her instinctive obedience taking over.

Emma looked over the group. None would meet her gaze. She turned away and descended the ladder. The access room was damp and dirty by comparison to the upper deck. Moisture dripped from the hundreds of pipes running through the room. Condensation beaded the single terminal making the display almost impossible to read. Emma was startled by the sudden appearance of Sedna climbing down the ladder.

"Are you insane? Do I need to spell it out for you?" Sedna snarled, angrily.

"This is the only course of action!" Emma replied icily.

"This is a death sentence!" Sedna shouted back at her. "Crawling through those pipes would be exposing yourself to almost three grays of radiation. By the time you exited the cooling system you would barely be able to function. You wouldn't be in sort of condition to fight whatever's in the engineering section."

"If you have a better plan then spit it out!" Emma barked.

"We could desert!" Sedna blurted out. "We might be able to make it to settlement. It's a hell of a lot better chance than what we have here!"

"So we just abandon ship?" Emma asked, her resolve wavering. "What happens to the rest of the crew?"  
>"They'll find their own way." Sedna shot back.<p>

"Tell me honestly Sedna, do we have any chance of surviving out there?" Emma asked seriously.

Sedna hung her head in response.

"I thought not." Emma said as she touched the control to open the maintenance hatch.

Sedna remained silent as Emma climbed up on to the large cooling pipe. She could see a bluish liquid rushing beneath her through the open maintenance hatch. She had just turned back towards Sedna say something when the entire room shook violently. Emma's precarious footing came loose and she tumbled towards the bluish liquid. She only had time for a single shocked gasp before she plunged into the liquid.

As she plunged into the cooling system she was seized by the massive pressure and dragged under the surface into the murk. She could no longer see anything except the blue of the fluid. It was rapidly filling up both her nose and mouth as she was dragged along through the pipe. Just as her lungs felt about to burst she was expelled from the pipe. With a few strokes she managed to ascend to the surface. Blinking her eyes in an attempt to clear them she could make it out that she was in some sort of reservoir. In the centre she was able to make out a single ladder. With weary strokes she managed to paddle over to the ladder and haul herself up it. It was also she could do to climb up the ladder and onto the roof of the tank. Once she was on the solid surface of the tank she doubled over retching. As the spasms subsided Emma flopped onto her side. Her body felt unpleasantly warm and her vision swam in and out of focus. After taking several breathes she clambered to her feet. For several seconds she swayed unsteadily before steadying herself. Looking about her she was confronted with the dark cavernous reaches of the engineering deck. Streching off to one end were a series of large reservoirs just like the one she had crawled out of. At the other end was half of a large globe. A structure rose from the top of the globe. A bright green light pulsed from within the middle of the structure casting the entire chamber into a sickly green light. Emma knew that the structure was where she had to go. Another ladder led up from the top of the reservoir onto a catwalk. As she climbed Emma felt the strength slowly seeping out of her body.

By the time she had reached the central structure on top of the reactor her steps had become uncoordinated and sluggish. Her arms felt as though were made out of lead now. A bank of control terminals ringing the structure was her destination. As she reached them she noticed that each one displayed a flashing red warning. She had a safe idea about what the cause was but no idea had to fix it. She let out a rattling laugh that ended in a cough. It was somehow funny that she had gone all this way and hadn't bothered to ask anyone how to restart the reactor systems. As she leaned against one of the terminals and hung her head she noticed the pint sized hologram of Sira spring to life on her hand.

"Initiating remote access. Commencing reactor restart." Sira intoned. "Please keep your hand in direct contact with the console so that I can complete the process."

Emma let out a weary snort of irritation. She felt perfectly happy where she was. As she was standing there a loud thump rang out from behind her. She slowly turned to face the abomination standing facing her. It wasn't one of the Xalun'Tar but it was something far worse. Standing easily several feet above her was massive figure. It was covered by a combination of rounded metal plating and rubber coloured a bright orange. Its head was a cylindrical helmet with a single green eye slit. It was clearly what was left of one of the engineering crew. It slowly clomped towards her. A surge of fresh adrenaline gave Emma the energy that she needed to run in the opposite direction from the approaching abomination. The abomination was still hot on her tail when she turned to face it with her pistol in her hand. A loud boom echoed through the chamber. The abomination continued to march towards her at exactly the same speed as it had before. The heavy slug of the pistol had lodged itself in the thick plate of the radiation suit. Cursing venomously Emma emptied the remainder of the magazine into the abomination. It had no effect. With a howl of frustration she threw the useless pistol at the creature and drew her sword hoping against hope that it would have some sort of effect. With a shout of rage she swung the blade at the creature. It bounced of with a ringing clang. The creature's response was to grab her sword arm and squeeze. Emma dropped the useless weapon. With a deep rumbling growl the creature lifted her off the ground and hurled her over the guardrail of the catwalk.

Emma landed with a bone crunching impact on the hard unyielding surface of the reactor casing. She moaned in pain as her nerves screamed at her. A loud thud in the distance announced that the abomination was intent on finishing her off. The echoing footfalls gradually drew nearer as it approached but Emma was beyond caring. The footfalls stopped next to her and she was hauled to her feet. The creature then continued on its way dragging her along with it. As Emma struggled she noticed where they were going. They were slowly marching down the side of the sphere towards another reservoir. This one displayed prominent warnings in bright glowing red script and even had a flashing red warning light to drive the point home. A terrifying premonition that the creature intended to dump her into the even more radioactive primary cooling loop cemented itself into Emma's brain. Her struggles intensified as she drew closer to the tank.

They stopped at the access hatch and the creature dropped her once more to set to work opening the hatch. Pulling herself to her feet Emma noticed that the creature's back was burdened by a large independent air supply. Throwing herself at the creature's back she latched onto the cables connecting its air supply with the last of her strength. As the creature straightened a series of pops greeted Emma's ears as the cabling connecting the suit to the air supply came loose. Emma's tenuous grip also came loose and she landed on flat on her back. The abomination was not so lucky as it stumbled about blindly attempting to reinsert the tubes that Emma had detached. In its stumblings on of its heavy booted feet caught on the lip of the hatchway that it had laboured so hard to open. As if in slow motion Emma watched as the creature slowly tumbled into to the waiting maw of the reservoir. She was alone once more. Emma crawled onto her hands and knees and gradually inched her way to the open hatch. She had just reached the lip when she realized that she hadn't heard a splash. To her horror a single hand swung over the lip followed by the cylindrical helmet rising from the abyss. The vision slit stared at her balefully. With one arm holding its weight the other shot towards Emma seizing her by the throat and cutting off her ability to breath. Her hands frantically scrabbled at the gloved hand in an attempt to relieve her blocked airways. As spots began to dance across her vision she noticed that her hands were turning black. The blackness was slowly spreading from her hands onto the abomination's suit. She blinked as the black fluid gradually began to eat through both the suit and arm beneath. The hand quickly released Emma's throat allowing her to suck in a deep, wheezing, breath. It was far too late for the creature as the black substance boiled over the surface of the suit. With a terrified howl the abomination released its grip on the roof and plunged back into the abyss. This time there was a loud and resounding splash.

For a long while Emma didn't move. Eventually she managed to recover enough of her stamina to close the hatch and climb back up the reactor casing to the control consoles. Her glove was still exactly where she had left it and the small holographic avatar of Sira hovered above it. Emma eased herself down against to the bank of consoles satisfied that her work was done. Her head gradually nodded forward as she succumbed to exhaustion.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Yes another chapter in as many days. I know I should drag it out more and give you readers a chance to **review**. After our interlude with Emma it's back to the frozen wasteland of Noveria. Miranda has survived one death only to face another. She just isn't very lucky or is she? In other news Juno's true identity is revealed and while you might think it answers all your questions it is guaranteed to leave you all scratching your heads. That said hang on to your seats.

Warning: Mild Adult Content

Chapter IX: Cold Truth

Location: Noveria, Precise Location Unknown

Time: Unknown

Miranda blinked. She was staring up at a piece of non descript ceiling which could be almost anywhere. Her body was comfortably numb and also comfortably warm. When she tried to move her muscles protested violently. As she settled back her mind flashed back to her last memories. There was Leng and his knife and the barrel of the pistol. She remembered hearing a shot but nothing more. A sudden realization seized her: she was dead. With what little strength that she did have Miranda levered herself into a sitting position, she ignored the pain that it caused her. The set of heavy blankets covering her slid down to reveal that she was wearing only a tank top and her underwear. Touching her shoulder with her good hand revealed the soft, squishy sensation of a medi-gel patch. As she looked around her she realized that her world was upside down and not in the metaphorical sense either. She was seated on what had once been the inside ceiling of the fighting compartment of an M-42 Tiger IFV. In what seemed like a lifetime ago she remembered being checked out on one of the vehicles as part of her work for Cerberus.

At the front of the vehicle she noticed movement for the first time and gawked when she saw Juno seated comfortable in the pilot's seat busily running through a set of diagnostics. Juno showed no sign of even being slightly concerned at the fact that she was upside down. As Miranda shifted to get a better view she hissed in pain as a lance of raw agony shot from her stomach. Juno noticed that and in a second had disconnected herself from the seat and reoriented herself to land gently on the ceiling. She was at Miranda's side easing her back into a prone position with a gentle but firm grip.

"Miranda, you have to try not move." Juno chided her gently. "You've been badly injured."

Miranda let herself be guided back down without complaint but began to protest when Juno set to work examining both of her wounds. Juno shushed her firmly and continued with her work. Several moments later she sat back on her haunches with a worried expression.

"I take it the prognosis isn't good?" Miranda asked, her voice raspy from lack of use.

"It isn't good for either of us." Juno sighed.

"I might be better able to appreciate the situation if I knew why I was still alive." Miranda prodded irritably.

"Complaining already?" Juno laughed. "Still I should probably explain what's happened. What do you remember?"

Miranda whispered only one word, "Leng."

"Well I suppose amnesia was too much to hope for." Juno murmured regretfully. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner."

"Don't apologize." Miranda whispered, the hint of a smile ghosted across her face. "It would seem that I owe you my life."

"You sound pretty rough. Would you like something? Ice perhaps?" Juno asked, solicitously. At Miranda's nod she disappeared from her field of vision, to return moments later with a cup of ice. She gently handed a morsel to Miranda who sighed gratefully as she popped the cold object into her mouth.

"Where should I begin then?" Juno said, absently. "I suppose the best place was when we were separated. The first inkling that I had that something was wrong was when you threw yourself off the ladder. A particularly brave and stupid thing to do." Miranda shot her a withering look. "Anyway it was fortunate that you did that. I was able to dispose of the second operative and managed to dissuade the rest of his team from following him. After that I saw you climbing down the cable trunk so I figured that I would follow you. The trunk ran out several levels below where we wanted to go. I stopped on that level hoping to find you but the ladder was on the opposite side of the conduit. When I got out I had to work my way around to find you. The floor was swarming with Cerberus soldiers but I was able to avoid most of them. Those that I couldn't met untimely ends."

"Good." Miranda hissed vengefully. Juno paused to stare at her carefully.

"I had just reached the server room when Leng and his goon squad breezed past me. I figured I was on the right track. I arrived just as that one soldier was about to execute you. I killed him but you were in bad shape. You had lost a lot of blood and were drifting in and out of consciousness. I did what I could to stabilize you and then hauled you off into the maintenance ducting. I had to keep you sedated the entire time in order to prevent you from giving away our position.

Fortunately for us the Cerberus team continued to work its way up the facility leaving only a skeleton crew to guard the vehicle bay. They didn't prove to be much of a challenge for me. I managed to get you secured in one of their IFVs and we were about to make our escape. Unfortunately the clean up squad also noticed that. They pursued us through the ice valleys near the facility. It looked as though we were about finished when I heard a massive explosion from the facility. The shockwave reached us several moments later throwing us all over the place.

What I saw later still haunts me. The Reaper was awake and it had broken free. It came after us. It could have escaped but instead it followed us. It destroyed the vehicles chasing us. A stray shot hit near us sending us plunging into an ice cavern. We upended and have been here ever since." Juno finished.

"So have you looked outside?" Miranda asked. She immediately regretted her question as she saw the grim look that marred Juno's beautiful countenance.

"Yes. We've been buried under falling debris. We're trapped." Juno stated quietly.

"What about a distress signal?" Miranda prodded already knowing what the answer would be.

"The cavern reduces the range of the transmitter. I can't raise anyone nearby. We have about three days of air and heat before we freeze up solid." Juno finished sadly.

Miranda let out a long breath. She had survived one death only to face another. Seconds dragged on into minutes before either of them said anything.

"You asked me a question when we were back in the facility." Juno said. "You wanted to know why I had implanted you with nanites."

Juno's words brought back unpleasant memories for Miranda and her fingers unconsciously tightened around her blanket.

"Yes." Miranda replied, anger tingeing her voice.

"I will tell you why I did it now. When I am sure that our journey is at an end I will tell you who I really am. Then everything will make sense to you." Juno said, her voice kept carefully neutral. "I have only one condition. When I finish telling you why I did it I want you to tell me about yourself. I want to know you properly and not in the way that I chose."

"Why should I tell you that?" Miranda rasped angrily. "You already know everything there is to know about me. What point does it serve?"

"It would mean a great deal to me if you did." Juno replied honestly.

"You go first. If I like what you have to say then I'll answer your questions." Miranda conceded.

"Very well. As you have by now guessed I was the source of the nanites that colonized your system. My reason for doing that remains the same. I had to protect you from the Reaper's indoctrination field and I had to be able to trust you. I see now that I have violated whatever chance I had of making you trust me." Juno paused to collect herself before continuing. The confession was obviously difficult for her. "There are two reasons I did that to you. The first is the most cold and calculating reason of all. I needed to be absolutely sure that your loyalties still lay with Shepard and her mission."

"Are you saying that you work for her?" Miranda gasped in shock.

"I do not but my mission and her mission have the same goal. If you were still loyal then you would be loyal to my objectives. I see now that there is an unimaginable gulf between an alliance of convenience and trust. My mission is to recover a weapon that is capable of ending the Reaper invasion once and for all. The weapon is on a space complex located in the Maelstorm Nebula. This complex is the home of an organization of rogue Spectres and their associates. Section 16, as they are called, is dedicated to ruling the galaxy in secret."

"Why have I never heard of this organization? Surely they must have left some sort of trace somewhere." Miranda interrupted in disbelief.

"They would be a pathetic organization if people knew about them. They work through so many intermediaries that it is impossible to tell what actions are there doing and what aren't. Over the past five years I can safely say that you have worked for them several times." Smiling softly at Miranda's shocked look Juno continued. "Cerberus has been one of their favourite cat's-paws. Why else do you think that they have survived for so long? The Illusive Man is just middle management. The old Shadow Broker was another of their agents. I needed to make sure that you had not been compromise by Section 16 and that you would be willing to help me stop them."

"You could have just asked me." Miranda snapped, though there was little real fire left in her argument.

"Perhaps that would have been much better." Juno conceded, the regret evident in her voice. "If we had survived this we would have been able to actual reach Section 16's headquarters and recover the weapon."

"You're speaking in the past tense." Miranda realized. "You don't expect us to survive."

"I feel that this situation has given me an opportunity to confess some of my mistakes. That is what you are supposed to do isn't it?" Juno questioned frankly.

It made Miranda doubly uncomfortable to realize that her companion was confessing her sins to her. So desperate was she to change the topic she asked the fatal question. "You said there were two reasons why you invaded my mind. What was the other one?"

Juno turned away from Miranda in obvious discomfort. The other woman seemed unable to face Miranda's gaze. "I was lonely." She confessed eventually. Those three words sounded unbelievably sad. Despite that Miranda did a double take.

"You were lonely?" She gasped in shock and confusion. "What? Why?"

"You cannot understand my reasons. You may never understand why." Juno sighed, the loss heavy in her voice.

"Try me." Miranda returned.

"I have wandered this galaxy for the past two years gathering assets all for this one mission. Before that I had many companions, some I would even call friends. I lost all of them. Some died. Some I lost." Juno explained softly. "You can run from that only so long. When I saw you I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Miranda asked half dreading the answer.

"I think that I love you Miranda." Juno sighed. "Now you know."

"That's impossible!" Miranda answered, choking on her surprise. "We don't even know each other. I never even saw you before a month ago. How can you love me? How can you expect me to love you?"

"I can't explain it and I can't expect you to feel the same way about me." Juno whispered sadly. With that final statement she rose to her feet to get back to work leaving Miranda in emotional turmoil.

It was difficult for Miranda to even determine what she was feeling. Shock was definitely present. She was also surprised that she couldn't bring herself to feel angry with Juno or to feel revulsion at her confession. Deep down she knew exactly what Juno had described when she spoke of her sense of loss. On many occasions during her own self imposed exile she had felt the same feelings.

"Juno, wait." Miranda said even before she had fully processed her feelings. "You asked me to tell you about myself. I said that I would consider it."

Juno paused with her back to Miranda. "And?"

"I'll tell you." Miranda stated simply.

Juno returned to Miranda's side the surprise evident on her face. "Are you sure?"

"No I'm not but you were right about one thing. We may die here and I'd feel better if I someone knew me, the real me." Miranda said. "You know I never shared anything about my life until I met you? I suppose I didn't have much choice in the matter when it comes to you."

Juno had the decency to look abashed at what Miranda said.

"I haven't really wanted to look back on it. I've made a lot of mistakes and I see them all now. Shepard used to always be telling me that everything looked 20/20 in hindsight. She told me that it was one of the last things that she thought before she died. I suppose it's fitting that I'm saying the same thing.

A childhood was a luxury that I wasn't afforded which was funny because I was afforded most other luxuries. It wasn't until later that I realized that those luxuries were just the hooks that my father used to keep me docile and moving along the path he had laid out for me. It was fortunate that I didn't remember much of it. I can only really remember two things about it. The boredom and the resentment that I felt for my father.

I think that deep down I knew something was wrong with my life when I was quite young but I couldn't act on it until I was older. I started thinking about running away when I was just fourteen. Thinking became dreaming and dreaming became planning until escape was the only thing I thought about. I finally managed to do it with the help of my father's steward Niket. Sixteen and I was shooting my way out of my father's mansion. An auspicious beginning to a Cerberus career." Miranda laughed bitterly. "It was only when I had escaped from the mansion that I realized that I didn't have a plan. I had a lot of my father's money but didn't know what do with it. I guess that was one reason that my father kept me away from the real world. It was always to insure that I wouldn't be able to survive out there alone. I certainly showed him.

He sent his mercs after me but I either killed them or hid from them. Bounty hunters were the same. I had to stowaway on several freighters to escape him but I did. I even spent a year on Omega working as T'Loak's bookkeeper under an assumed name. I think she knew who I was but harbouring me was like thumbing her nose at my father. It was on Omega that Cerberus found me.

Those white armoured soldiers of their looked a bit like angels to the eighteen year old girl I was back then. I was hungry to believe in something - to find some sort of calling beyond surviving and fighting the boredom of the everyday grind. Getting noticed was just a simple matter of hacking into the local Cerberus databases and compromising one of their operations. By carrying out the operation myself I attracted their notice pretty quickly. A couple of intermediaries later and I found that I had attracted the attention of the Illusive Man no less.

Cerberus training was hard and the life that followed it was hard. I turned a blind eye to some of the things that Cerberus did. Stayed silent when I should have spoken out. I let myself become absorbed in my work and let myself believe that the ideal of Cerberus was the reality of Cerberus. I blinded myself." Miranda rolled the words around in her mouth, trying understand why she had said them.

"What about your sister?" Juno asked, interrupting Miranda's confusion.

"Oriana?" Miranda asked, the name was very hard for her to say. Painful memories assaulted her. "When I found out about her I was stunned. Stunned that my father would do something as petty as replace me. I suppose, in a way I was jealous of Oriana but it was more than that. I didn't want had happened to me to happen to her.

When I found out I was called to the Illusive Man's 'office'. I had risen quite high in the Cerberus hierarchy by that point. If I remember correctly I had just been given command of a research cell. The Illusive Man already knew about Oriana. He told me that he expected I would want some personnel time to resolve family business. He also said that Cerberus would be more than happy to assist me in my efforts. At that moment I felt so proud that I was a part of that organization. I was so happy that I worked for the Illusive Man. How gullible I was. Helping me to save Oriana was just a hook - a measure to insure my loyalty. The Illusive Man loved to cover every angle and that was what Oriana was to him: an angle.

The Illusive Man gave me the soldiers and the intel to find and extract Oriana. The mission was almost too easy. We raided the mansion where Oriana was being kept. The guards were insignificant and with Niket's assistance we had the security system in our pocket. When I reached the nursery and saw her for the first time I knew that I had to keep her safe. She was just a baby when I took her and I knew that she had the chance that I would never have. It was a chance to grow up without my father's influence. I made a choice that night to remove myself from her life. It was the hardest choice I ever made but it was the right one. She almost made it too." Miranda bit back a sob at the realization that she would never see Oriana again. Juno softly rubbed her back.

"Oriana is still alive." Juno whispered.

"Alive as the Reaper's pet you mean." Miranda snapped her anger resurfacing.

"No." Juno replied. "I can assure you that she is alright and still in control of her own destiny."

"Tell me what's become of her." Miranda begged.

"If I were to tell you it would put her in danger. You made the choice to let her live a normal life once before. You have to do it again Miranda." Juno whispered in response. "Be happy that she's alive and that she's safe."

"For the longest time I wondered what had happened to her. Shepard said the exact same thing to me about Oriana." Miranda paused and composed herself. "If we survive this and if we survive this whole mission of yours just promise me that you'll tell me exactly where she is."

"I promise." Juno replied.

For several moments the two sat together in silence.

"Thank you for telling me that Miranda." Juno murmured. "You should probably get a bit more rest."

Miranda heaved a long sigh. She felt as though she had just emerged from a long battle. She nodded wearily and eased herself back down amongst the blankets. Juno gently settled the blankets back over her. After a few moments Miranda drifted into oblivion.

When Miranda awoke again the inside of the Tiger was much colder and darker than it had been. As she levered herself up she saw Juno huddled next to a single heater. The compartment was cast in a dull orange glow from the heater's light. Juno had a blanket wound tightly around her but something gleamed dully in her hands. She hadn't noticed that Miranda was awake. It took a moment for Miranda to process what the object was the Juno was cradling - it was a long hypodermic syringe. It didn't take long for Miranda to put the pieces together.

"Juno?" She queried, pulling the blankets up around her to preserve what little heat was left in them.

Juno started at Miranda's voice. Her face looked haunted and guilty as she attempted to conceal the needle from Miranda. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again abruptly.

"So it's that bad?" Miranda asked quietly.

"You've been out for two days. You're injuries and the cold probably sapped your strength." Juno explained, her voice thick with emotion. "The power gave out yesterday and this is the last container of fuel for the heater. We're down to hours now Miranda."

Miranda found it very difficult to find words for what she had to say next. "So you were considering our options?"

Juno flinched at the comment before exhaling a puff of steam. "That's a nice way of putting it."

"Come over here Juno." Miranda whispered softly.

Juno stood stiffly and walked over to Miranda. She sat down beside Miranda with a soft sigh.

"If this is it Juno then I don't want to die in my sleep. It maybe a kindness to do that to me but I want to cling to ever last moment of my life. If my light is going to burn out then I want it to burn fiercely before it's time. Do you understand?" Miranda ask, a sudden warmth pervading her words.

"I ... I" Juno stutter in confusion. Miranda didn't let her finish. She grabbed her with what strength she had left and smashed her lips against Juno's in a blazing kiss.

When they came back up for air Juno had a confused look. "You kissed me." She stated in a perplexed tone. "I thought you hated me."

"Shut up and kiss me again." Miranda ordered as she fumbled with Juno's clothing. Juno was only too happy to comply. It had been so long since Miranda had been touched that when she felt Juno's hands on her she almost froze. As one hand caressed her breasts the other wormed its down her stomach and underneath the waistband of her panties. Juno didn't make her beg and didn't even ask for her reciprocate. With a gentle probing touch she set Miranda aflame and watched her burn. It was all Miranda could do to stop from screaming at the intensity of the pleasure. Seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity and in that eternity Miranda finally found fulfillment.

When it finally ended Miranda flopped nervelessly against her newfound lover. As her cloudy grey eyes made contact with Juno's radiant green orbs.

"How did you do that?" Miranda moaned hazily.

"Beginner's luck?" Juno replied with a soft smile.

Miranda's slack smile gradually warped into a predatory grin as she shoved her partner down into her nest. As she drew the blanket over her form and that of the unresisting Juno beneath her she remembered an old saying. One good turn deserves another. For the first time in since she had arrived on Noveria Miranda felt warm.

Several hours later the frost had set in. The compartment was dark and cold. Ice crystals had formed on almost every surface and would have been impressive to behold had there been any light to see them with. The heater's fuel had long since been exhausted allowing the icy tendril's of Noveria's climate to worm their way into the vehicle. The only movement was from a heap of blankets piled on what had been the compartment's ceiling. Deep within the nest of blankets the cold had reached Miranda and Juno. Miranda's extremities already felt numb but despite the numbness she continued to cling Juno's still form. It was silent beneath the blankets except for the occasion whisper of indrawn breath. Miranda was in the middle of a losing battle to keep her eyes open. The lure of the sleep that she knew she would never awake from was fast transitioning from lure to reality.

"You're fading Miranda." Juno whispered.

"I know." Miranda murmured back.

"We burned brightly didn't we?" Juno asked. Miranda could almost hear her smiling. It was hard not to do the same.

"We did." She sighed.

"Before you go I have to tell you my name." Juno managed to whisper.

"It doesn't matter." Miranda whispered back.

"Juno isn't my real name." Juno whispered. Miranda strained but couldn't quite make out what Juno said next.

"It's a nice name." Miranda muttered, her concentration ebbing. She desperately wanted to sleep. Why wouldn't Juno just let her sleep?

"I said that my name isn't Juno. It's Sira."

"Oh." Was all Miranda could manage. She felt she needed to say something more but it didn't seem very important. She closed her eyes. Miranda never even heard the loud thump of something hitting the outside of the Tiger.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: First off Kudos to both lshm1324 and FasterGhost for being good readers and reviewing the past two chapters. I felt that your commitment deserved special recognition! For all the rest I would greatly appreciate seeing reviews from everyone reading this fic if only so that I know how many people are actually reading it. Sometimes I feel like I only have two readers. Anyway this chapter is a short one which sets up the next chapter in Emma's story. You can expect the next chapter to have more action and some tough choices for Emma as she journeys out onto the surface of Erebus. You can also expect to see Miranda's narrative continue with the arrival of familiar faces and Section 16. As always enjoy.

Chapter X: Aftershocks

_Archimandrites and the Church_

_Extracted from Religion on Erebus_

_In the previous chapter we discussed the monotheistic nature of belief on __Erebus. In this chapter we discuss how that belief morphed into the monolithic entity that is the Church on Erebus. Central to the church are the divinely blessed figures know as Archimandrites. Archimandrites are all individuals who have either been saved from death by the Church or have saved themselves from certain death. Having undergone this type of experience is the main qualification for induction into the church as an acolyte. As an acolyte individuals will undergo training in both the word and policy of the Church as well as undergoing rigorous physical and mental conditioning. It is fair to say that once an acolyte emerges from training they are an entirely different person. It is believed that Archimandrites have no fear and no doubt about their actions. It is even said that they give up their individuality as part of their ascension to the position.  
>Archimandrites serve as the face of the church and are present wherever there is some type of power. They are found in greater numbers within the large settlements of Erebus but are also present even in remote regions. The Archimandrites ensure that none defy the laws and code of ethics set out by the Church. They are completely without mercy in the punishment of criminals and heretics and are more than capable of hunting down and terminating any opposition. Indeed some scholars have contended that Archimandrites are superior in terms of agility and durability even to the Xalun'Tar. <em>

Location: The Acheron, Infirmary

Time: 12:00 Shipboard

"Well you've done it now!" A voice laughed.

Emma blinked, the last thing she remembered was having killed the abomination in the engine room. She tried not to think about how much radiation she had soaked up in the process.

"Not feeling particularly talkative?" The voice prodded.

Emma tried to focus but was greeted with blackness. She couldn't tell if she was awake or still asleep and the very real possibility that she was blind terrified her.

"If I give you something to look at will you talk or are you just mute?" Her tormentor asked.

"Who are you?" Emma asked weakily. Her reward was a grim view of the surface of Erebus. She was standing atop a dune completely alone. For a moment she panicked.

"Easy there." The voice chided. "We don't want you hyperventilating. That could cause all kinds of problems."

Emma turned unstably to be confronted by her own mirror image. Her mouth opened in shock in stark contrast to her double's smug grin.

"You already know who I am." The double laughed.

"It can't be..." Emma gasped in shock.

"Possible?" The double finished. "It is not only possible but it is what is happening."

"This isn't real." Emma realized.

"Very good!" The double mocked as she clapped her hands derisively. "Not that your realization will do you much good."

"Why not?" Emma asked in confusion.

"You see, I want my body back. You haven't been treating it very well." The double snarled angrily.

"You're just a hallucination." Emma shot back in an attempt to deny the existence of the double.

"I could be a hallucination brought on by the swelling of your brain." The double paused and smirked. "Uh-oh that would mean that you received a near fatal dose of radiation and you're dying."

"You're lying!" Emma growled but her words lacked the strength of conviction.

"I'm afraid not." The double replied with a slight smile. "I actually know what's happening to you right now."

"You do?" Emma sputtered in disbelief.

"Why yes." The double answered with a casual nonchalance. "You've been decontaminated and are in the infirmary. At this very moment Sedna is wringing her hands trying to think of some way to reduce the number of radioactive particles in your system before your body shuts down completely."

"No." Emma whispered. "You're lying to me."

"Search your feelings you know it to be true." The double stated – completely serious – before smirking once more. "I always wanted to say that."

Emma didn't need to even bother she already know that her double was telling the truth. The double watched her carefully as her inner struggle played out on the canvas of her face.

"I can save our body." The double said calmly, all trace of humour gone.

"How? Why?" Emma asked, still unwilling to trust the doppelganger.

"I've been trapped inside you for the past several days but I know how to work all of that nanotechnology inside you. I'm the real you, the one with all the memories." The double continued earnestly. "Saving your life is a simple matter but I don't want to return to being trapped inside your head again."

"You want control." Emma concluded.

"No, I want you gone." The double stated coldly.

Emma bristled angrily at the statement and was about to protest when the double continued.

"Think about it Emma," The double practically spat her name, "You don't remember anything about your life before you arrived on Erebus. You are content to live out your days here, on this barren dustball of a world. You have forgotten what we set out to do, what we have to do. Do you know what you are?"

"No, but I have the sense that you'll take great pleasure in telling me anyway." Emma spat.

"You are just an echo of me. You are a personality extrapolated from me and grafted into my body." The duplicate argued her voice rising. "You were created by the Reapers. You are weak. You haven't the strength to stop the Reapers or even the strength to stop me."

Emma fell to her knees she could feel herself becoming more and more insubstantial as the double continued its tirade. The double smiled predatorily sensing that its victory was near.

"Your weakness is why you don't deserve to live." The double concluded. "Give in. I promise I'll make it quick and painless for you."

"No!" Emma whispered, her resolve wavering.

"No?" The double laughed in disbelief. "No?"

"No. You are the one who failed." Emma answered her voice quiet.

"That's some imagination you have. I can't wait to explain your reasoning." The double sneered.

"I know what you are. You aren't me. You aren't even who or what I was. You are my darker side." Emma reasoned. "You are a part of me. You are what I would be without what I am. I can see through you and I can see my memories once more."

"You can?" The double groaned in disbelief.

"Yes. I know what they did to us. They thought that by suppressing my anger and my aggression that I would be too weak to continue. To do what needs to be done." Emma explained, her voice growing stronger and more confident. "They succeeded in dividing me and destroying who I was but they can never succeed in destroying who I am."

"A fine sentiment but that doesn't resolve our problem." The double snarled.

"I cannot survive without you. I know that now but I also know that you cannot survive without me. I am what gives you purpose and that is why you are trapped here." Emma rose to her feet and took the double's hand. "We have a destiny but it is only together and only alive that we can attain it."

"You always were a silver tongued one but you do have enough of me in you and enough backbone to survive. You may be riven by doubts and you may go through darkness but you will survive it." The double said solemnly.

The double's image wavered before Emma and for a brief moment she saw something that looked like an older version of herself. In that instant she knew that the double had not been the product of her darker half but something from outside her being.

"I will still have to keep your memories daughter," A voice whispered across her consciousness. "But I will let you keep your life. When you find your memories again you will find me."

Emma awoke in a cold sweat. Her clammy hands clutched the blanket that been draped over her. Emma shot bolt upright throwing the blanket off of her body. The dream had felt so real and yet she was unable to remember it clearly. Sitting upright was not doing anything for ability to concentrate. Emma was unable to decide which was worse; her blazing headache or the tossing of her stomach. At least her surroundings were familiar. Emma was in the same infirmary room that had served her during her arrival. She was alone. Suppressing her pain Emma gradually hauled herself to her feet. She wavered unsteadily as she rose but managed to stay standing. Fresh energy began to course through her body as though she had recovered a part of herself that had been lost.

Feeling reinvigorated Emma cautiously made her way out of the room. She was shocked at what she found outside. The sickbay was filled to overflowing with wounded beings of all races. The room was filled with the sound of muffled groans and stifled curses. Emma was not so inured to violence and its consequences that she wasn't stunned for several moments by the scale of injury presented before her. Her presence hadn't gone unnoticed and several of the walking wounded turned visibly paler upon seeing her. Emma was puzzled by their reaction until Sedna appeared before her. The moment Sedna saw her she clapped a hand to her mouth.

"What is it?" Emma said her voice not much above a whisper. Already she was beginning to fear the worst.

"You ... You're not supposed to be here." Sedna gasped in surprise.

"Why? What is it?" Emma asked, her voice rising dangerously.

"You absorbed a fatal dose of radiation." Sedna replied tensely. "That was over three days ago. You should have been dead. Come with me."

Sedna swiftly grabbed Emma's hand and dragged her back the way she had come. Once back in the examining room Sedna release Emma's hand and distanced herself from the other woman.

"What is wrong with you?" Emma growled, her irritation making itself felt.

"You don't get it do you?" Sedna shot back. "I thought you were going to die. I prepared myself for that eventuality. I made you as comfortable as possible."

"Well if you were expecting me to die I can go find myself a sword to fall on." Emma quipped bitterly. "Would that make you happier?"

Sedna let out something that was a cross between a snort and a sigh. "You come back from the dead and start making bad jokes. I wish all my patients could do that." Sedna grumbled, though there was a deep weariness in her voice.

"What is all this about? What is it really?" Emma asked softly.

"You were our martyr Emma. You had become another Exarch who had sacrificed herself for the ship. Now you are a martyr who has risen from her deathbed to continue her duty. You put the pieces together." Sedna explained regretfully.

"You mean some of the crew may think that I'm some sort of angel?" Emma queried in confusion.

"Oh yes. In fact it would seem that fate is most assuredly on your side Emma." Sedna bit back. "Someone who does what you've done is almost always immediately inducted in the ranks of the clergy."

"Clergy? What clergy?" Emma's confusion was growing worse.  
>"What do you think the Archimandrite was? It was a member of the Clergy. You're new so you don't know the complexities of life on Erebus." Sedna explained. "The Archimandrites are like the voices of the Authority made flesh. The Authority is our god."<p>

"Something seems off." Emma opined.

"Very true. What I'm going to say next would be considered heresy. If you ever say it to anyone else you would arrested, tried and executed. Do you understand?" Sedna paused and at Emma's weak nod she continued. "This faith is not a faith that all of us believe in willingly. Every race used to have its own faiths before coming here. On Erebus there is only one way and one Authority. The Clergy is made up of Archimandrites who have been directly touched by the Authority. That touch gives them power beyond imagining. You probably felt it first hand when you were conscripted."

"It read my mind." Emma remembered.

"Indeed. It did the same to me. The Archimandrites periodically scan all the officers on the ship for signs of heresy. Loyalty testing we call it. You fail and you are 'reassigned'." Sedna continued. "In your case the ability to cheat death in the way you have almost always comes either from the hand of one of the Archimandrites or it is a sign that you are ready to become one of them."

"What is it that terrifies you so much about them?" Emma asked.

"I lost someone who was close to me to one of them." Sedna stated coldly and left it at that.

"And you're worried that you'll lose me to them as well?" Emma concluded finishing Sedna's thought.

"You're safe for now. The Archimandrite aboard this vessel was killed during the attack but the crew knows that you're alive and well so word will eventually reach the Clergy. After that it is just a matter of time." Sedna finished.

"Forgive me if I don't succumb to despair." Emma laughed. "You told me when I arrived that I was living on borrowed time and to make the most of what I had. I intend on doing just that. Do you?"

Sedna looked shocked by what Emma had said, it was a look as if it to say 'Have you been listening?' Then realization slow dawned on Sedna. The beginnings of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and her face softened.

"I suppose you're right." Sedna conceded.

"Now what can I do to help you?" Emma asked.

It was evening or at least what the chronometer said was evening before Emma managed to catch her breath. Offering to assist Sedna had turned into working as a nurse in her desperately understaffed infirmary. The work had been trying not just physically but also emotionally. One of the crew had been badly burned during the assault and Emma had been with him during his final hours.

She had settled her weary frame at the watch station near the centre of the infirmary. She had had to practically haul Sedna to her bunk for some much needed rest, so intent was the apothecary on staying with her patients. After sitting down Emma realized that she could do with some rest as well. As she was about to search for one of Sedna's other assistants when the infirmary hatch swung open.

A pair of the Acheron's remaining marines entered followed by Lanar. As Emma was about to speak Lanar stood to attention as the Autarch stepped into the infirmary. Emma followed suit as best she could be she was somewhat slower.

"At ease Exarch." The autarch commanded, his face betrayed nothing of his true feelings. As Emma sat back down he continued. "You have done exceptionally well for a new recruit and have put your own life on the line for this crew. We all owe you a great debt."

"Thank you sir." Emma replied, she could sense a deep unease about the Autarch that she suspected was the real reason for his being there.

"While you did outstanding work Exarch, our situation is still dire." Lanar chimed in.

"Indeed, put simply we have only a week's worth of power left to us. We cannot move and we can barely defend ourselves." The autarch added heavily.

"I see sir." Emma answered neutrally. "How did this happen?"

"You and your AI were successful in restoring the reactor to operational status but due to our severe damage we were unable to properly sweep the engineering section. A saboteur had remained behind and has managed to neutralize the phoros in the reactor." The autarch explained. "We are running on reserve power and I fear that we are doomed unless we can find a replacement catalyst."

"Our only hope is a small mining settlement approximately 20 clicks from our current location." Lanar added the hint of a malicious smile creeping into his expression.

Emma suddenly understood both the smile and the Autarch's expectant silence. "You want me to acquire a replacement catalyst?"

"Yes. The reason is threefold. Your subordinates have logged more hours groundside than anyone else on the ship. Your crew is also one of the most intact remaining units aboard this ship. Finally, both myself and Lanar believe that you have proven your loyalties and abilities." The autarch elucidated. "Gather a team and leave immediately. You have broad authority to requisition whomever and whatever you need."

With that the Autarch turned and left the infirmary followed by his two guards. Lanar lingered behind and waited until he was certain that he and Emma were alone.

"I have you to thank for this 'honour' don't I?" Emma snarled.

"You would be best to guard your tone with me _Exarch_." Lanar snapped back. "I did suggest that maybe you would be capable of saving the ship once more."

"Why?" Emma asked simply.

"Why what?" Lanar replied, playing dumb before answering her question. "You mean why am I doing this to you? I don't like you. You know that."

"I refuse to believe this irrational hatred is simply that: irrational." Emma spat. "If you're going to try to get me killed then I deserve to know why."

"Do you?" Lanar asked, his voice dripping with contempt as he advanced on her. Emma rose to her feet. "And just who are you to feel such as sense of entitlement?"

Emma was struck speechless by the question. She realized that she had pushed quite far but despite that she had no entitlement to answers from Lanar.

"And that's what I thought." Lanar hissed. "You will undertake this mission and you will return with the catalyst. I'm not finished with you."

As he stalked out of the infirmary his final words seemed to echo in her ears.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: After too long a wait the story finally continues! In this chapter Miranda finds that the Alliance isn't the way she remembers it and runs across a familiar face. Unfortunately answers about Juno have to wait as more pressing concerns take the fore.

Chapter XI: Inquisitors

Miranda had been perfectly content to let herself give into hypothermia - it had been a welcome release from all of her responsibilities. Unfortunately, she was all too aware of the fact that she could still feel her extremities. That meant only one thing: she was still alive. Being alive in turn meant that she wasn't free of her responsibilities or what she now knew. There was one statement in particular that had etched itself into Miranda's memory and had begun to fester like an infected wound; Juno's confession that she wasn't who or what she appeared to be. Miranda had automatically ruled out the fact that it had been a simple coincidence that the other woman's name was Sira. She was already busily attempting to figure out how a collection of self aware software and programs could commandeer a body and pursue a secret agenda. She was also trying her hardest to forget the intoxicating hour of pleasure she had shared with the AI as well as the degree to which she had enjoyed the experience.

The whir of an opening door put a swift end to Miranda's thoughts as she realized that she had more immediate concerns than what Sira wanted from her. As Miranda blinked her weary grey eyes open she was greeted with a view of a featureless expanse of grey metal decking. Her cheek was painfully digging into the metal but when she moved to push herself into a sitting position she was greeted with the unpleasant sensation of her arms moving in tandem. As she pushed herself upright she noticed that she was manacled hand and foot. The room was a featureless grey metal box and the only adornments were a desk and a single chair. The chair was already occupied by a dapper little man with a receding hairline and a pair of cool blue eyes. He wore a singularly dull brown suit and regarded Miranda with an expression of mild distaste as though she had turned up quite suddenly and made a muck of his carefully constructed schedule.

It was the man that broke the silence first. "If you could state your name for the record we can begin your processing."

"Who are you?" Miranda asked instead of responding.

"In order to smooth this interaction I am allowed to provide you a certain amount of information." The man replied in a bored tone. "You are currently in the detention block of Gagarin Station. You were recovered from Noveria approximately two weeks ago and have been stabilized for processing. Your companion is presently in a coma and her prognosis is grim. That leaves you as the only living witness to the events on Noveria. The fact that you are were a member of Cerberus and a companion of the late Spectre Shepard makes you a high value asset to Alliance Special Operations."

"So this is an interrogation?" Miranda snorted, dismissively.

"It could be construed as that. Individuals in my profession prefer to think of it as data extraction before we file you away for future reference." The interrogator responded distractedly as he sifted through the datapads on his desk.

"So what do I get if I cooperate?" Miranda laughed, "A full pardon?"

"No. Your cooperation is irrelevant. If you choose to answer my questions the interrogation will be concluded with the minimum of physical discomfort to your person. Should you choose to resist I am empowered to utilize all possible methods to extract the necessary information from you." The interrogator answered in his customary disinterested tone.

Miranda knew that behind the bureaucratic doublespeak the interrogator had told her that he could use torture if he wanted. The prospect of torture itself was not as troubling as the prospect of prolonged torture. Miranda knew that given enough time everyone broke. The only difference was how much was left of the person after they broke. She had seen the after effects and they usually weren't pretty.

"Now tell me your name for the record." The interrogator prodded again. At Miranda's response the interrogator made a small snorting noise. "The subject has confirmed her identity with no resistance. Unlike previous subjects with her level of training she does not oppose the process on an ideological level. Rather, I suspect, she is playing for time in an effort to determine what information she can surrender which lacks value to her but is valuable to us. In all likelihood she is formulating a plan for escape.

Next question: What was your mission objective at the Cord-Hislop facility and did you succeed in achieving it?"

Miranda was flummoxed by the next question. Her interrogator knew what she was doing and was attempting to force her to resist or concede key information. It was an old tactic designed to force resistance in order to proceed with the more important process of breaking down the subject. The interrogator scarcely bothered to wait for Miranda to respond or for her lack of response before gathering up his datapads. As he stood the door behind him opened and three black armoured soldiers filled in. Each one held a shock prod.

"Make her uncomfortable but don't cause any permanent damage." The interrogator instructed before leaving the room.

As the first black figure advanced on Miranda she reflected that she should have expected something like this to happen to her.

It hurt to move and Miranda knew that her interrogation had only just begun. She was certain that she had a black eye amongst her catalogue of bruises. As bad as her beating had been she knew from experience that the only purpose physical violence played was to separate out the individuals who would crack quickly from those who required a more prolonged and varied regimen of interrogation. A small part of her had been shocked that individuals directly associated with the Alliance would sink as low as to allow torture but that part was now silent. She was only left with the reality of her present situation.

_You should have expected as much Miranda. _Persephone's quiet voice whispered across her conciousness.

The reappearance of the Nyx that she shared her headspace with came as a surprise.

_It took me this long to recover from the Reaper's field and those nanites that Sira was kind enough to administer to us. _Persephone added crossly.

_And what would you have had me do about it? _Miranda responded mentally.

_Well I wouldn't have slept with her. _Persephone answered sharply. _I know you haven't gotten laid in a long time Miranda but did you really have to rub up against the first cybernetic organism that came along?_

The Nyx's propensity to absorb and interject human slang did little to improve Miranda's mood or her aches. _I didn't know you thought of me as wanton Persephone. If I had known that earlier perhaps I wouldn't have worked as hard containing myself._

_Enough Miranda. You're in a bad situation. Again. We have to figure out some way out of here and quickly. _Persphone reprimanded.

_I had been wondering when you would get around to noticing. _Miranda added snidely.

_In all seriousness I don't want to see you broken. If they want to break you first then we don't have a chance. _Persephone opined.

_And if the__y want information first then we do have a chance?_ Miranda asked, sceptically.

_Yes. If we tell them what we know about Section 16 and make sure that it shows up in a database somewhere I expect that our friends from Section 16 will show up here to eliminate us and anyone else who has been exposed to the information_. Persephone concluded.

_And you think we can escape then?_

_An attack by Section 16 will provide us with our best chance to escape. If we fail then we will be killed which is preferable to enduring torture._ Persephone concluded resolutely.

Miranda found herself agreeing with Persephone's assessment of the situation. The prospect of being locked away for the rest of her life if she even survived the interrogation struck Miranda as being even worse than death. At least death would be quick.

The guards hadn't bothered to shut off the lights in the room after they left and the lights had remained burning ever since making it impossible to gauge the passage of time or, worse, to sleep. After what seemed like an eternity the interrogator returned, re-seated himself at the desk and gradually resorted his datapads out once more. Once he was organized he shot a cursory glance at Miranda's huddled form to evaluate her condition.

"It appears that my associates were somewhat overzealous but no matter." The interrogator concluded. "Now shall we continue? What was the purpose of infiltration of the facility on Noveria?"

Miranda licked her chapped lips carefully before responding to the question. "We were there to recover star charts showing the location of a secret installation in the Maelstorm Nebula." Miranda grated.

"Interesting." The interrogator opined as he considered Miranda. "You withstood the beating without begging for mercy and yet you concede critical information readily. I wonder why? Your profile shows that you would be more than capable of withstanding prolonged interrogation and that it would take irrevocable psychological damage for you to break by which point any information we could extract would be suspect." The interrogator continued to watch her even as Miranda carefully avoided eye contact. "Next question: the facility inside the Nebula belongs to what organization?"

Miranda smirked inwardly. "Section 16." She responded grudgingly.

"And just what is Section 16?" The interrogator prodded.

Miranda was half tempted reply that those two words were his death sentence but instead confined herself to a simple answer. "All I know is that they are secret organization of Spectres and former Spectres who aim to manipulate galactic events."

"How do you know this?"

"Juno told me." Miranda sighed.

"A pity we cannot put the question to her." The interrogator grumbled. "On the basis of what we know thus far you suddenly decided to discard your false identity – a cover that has kept you safe for two years – and go on a mission to recover information about some super secret organization that we have never heard of. It all begs the question of why. Why did you suddenly decide to break your cover to go after an organization that did nothing to you? Why take the word of a stranger that she was telling you the truth? There's something you aren't telling me."

Miranda reflected that she couldn't even answer the question of why herself. Her first meeting with Juno seemed like something out of a half remembered dream. The meeting seemed, in retrospect, less of a meeting and more like being caught by an unstoppable force and dragged along with it.

"Supposing that we even believe this story we need to put it in context. What is your long term goal? What terrorist actions do you have planned against the Alliance? What resources do you have?" The interrogator barked out.

"What are you talking about?" Miranda gasped in shock. "I'm not a terrorist. I haven't attacked the Alliance. I tried to help you."

"The council branded you a traitor Ms. Lawson." The interrogator shot back. "I've seen the raw data and the distilled intelligence and I agree with our analysts. They have concluded that you went off the grid in order to build up a network of contacts, stockpile arms and draw supporters to your cause. The recent mutinies and thefts of Alliance military materiel have been linked to your agents."

"My agents? Military materiel?" Miranda choked out.

"So you deny it?" The interrogator snorted. "I suspected as much. You spin us a story to get out of further interrogation on the off chance that we'll fall for it and thus keep your real operation secret. I think you need to spend some time in the tank."

"But I told you the truth!" Miranda shouted, fear seizing her. "You've made a mistake. I don't know anything about mutinies or weapons being stolen."

As the black armoured guards entered the room once more Miranda felt her heart sink. Her situation had gone from bad to worse. The Alliance had begun to believe its own propaganda and was attempting to lay the blame for its own problems at her feet. She would be tortured in order to provide them with answers that she didn't have. As the guards seized her by the arms Miranda began to panic. As they dragged her out of the room the interrogator pointedly ignored her.

She was dragged down several featureless corridors before being hauled into another almost featureless room. On the floor were six hatches arranged in a circle. One of the guards wasted no time in opening getting a hatch open. A pit of dark water waited below. The realization that she was about to be dumped into the water did nothing for Miranda's deteriorating mental state. She panicked completely and struggled to free herself from the grasp of her remaining guard. The guard simply let her topple to the ground while his companion seized her by the feet and dragged her to the waiting tank. The two manhandled her in until gravity did the rest. Miranda only had time for a short scream before she plunged into the waiting maw of the tank.

It was in total darkness that Miranda hit the bottom of the tank. She pushed against the base of the tank and managed to send herself shooting back to the surface. As she was sucking in a lungful of air and struggling to keep herself afloat she was just able to see the hatch close. The water was brutally cold and the darkness was pervasive. Miranda's rational brain had long since been devoured by the terror of her situation and she found that she was forced to concentrate solely on diving to the bottom of the tank and pushing herself back to the surface. She didn't dare think about what would happen when her strength failed her and she would sink for the last time. She tried to persuade herself that she was too valuable to kill but in the darkness her arguments seemed flimsy and insubstantial.

Despite the fact that Miranda had been genetically enhanced and she was in excellent physical condition it didn't take long for her to become weary. The pressure of the water and the pervasive cold had contrived to rob her of the strength she needed push herself to the surface. It came as a brutal shock when she attempted to propel herself to the surface only to come up short. She barely had enough energy to try again and managed to suck in a quick breath before sinking once more. The adrenaline and panic were subsiding quickly and as the waned Miranda found it more and more difficult to move her extremities. As she started to ascend once more her legs cramped causing her to spasm and bang into the sides of the tank. Her struggles depleted her supply of oxygen quickly and she quickly succumbed to unconsciousness. Miranda never knew that when her tortured autonomic nervous system sucked in her first breath of 'water' she didn't begin to drown. Little could she have know that she had been immersed in a tank of perfluorocarbon an oxygen rich solution that had often been used during early deep range space missions. Miranda had surmised correctly that she was far too valuable to be allowed to drown.

When Miranda regained consciousness she found that she had been deposited in a wet bundle back in her cell. She shivered violently as she hauled herself into a corner of the cell and curled her legs up to her chest. The experience of nearly being drowned had left her shaken as did the prospect of further visits to the tanks. It was only a matter of time now before she shattered and she could feel her grip on sanity already beginning to slip.

The door opened to admit the interrogator for the third time but Miranda was beyond caring at this point. She didn't even want to think about whatever new torment he had in store for her.

"As you can see a spell in the tanks leaves them considerably the worse for wear." The interrogator was explaining. "It would be better for you to tell us what you know of Captain Pierce's connection Ms. Lawson."

"I might have been her executive officer but it didn't mean that she trusted me." A woman's voice argued back.

"Now, now lieutenant that's no way to speak to a superior officer. I just wanted to show you that Ms. Lawson is in custody now and the rest of her organization will soon follow. They can't do anything to you now." The interrogator replied soothingly.

"That isn't the only thing you're showing me." The other spat back venomously. "I used to think that the Alliance meant something. I tried to see beyond the persecution I got because of my grandfather but silly me I missed the truth staring me in the face."

"Are you going to cooperate and tell us where Captain Pierce has taken the _Kilimanjaro_ or not? It's a simple yes or no." The interrogator shot back irritably. "Before you answer you might want to talk to Ms. Lawson. Her experience might cause you to reconsider. I'll give you five minutes."

The door closed shortly after the interrogator finished talking, cutting off whatever the other occupant of the cell was going to say. The other woman gave a growl of frustration before stomping over towards Miranda. Miranda found herself being hauled to her feet moments later by the new arrival. As she took in the features of the other woman a distance part of her brain found them somehow familiar. The other woman's features morphed from anger into shock.

"I ... I've seen you before somewhere." The other said her shock apparent. Miranda was certain that she hadn't ever seen the other woman before. "You look different somehow. Not quite the same."

A jolt of realisation ran through Miranda's dazed brain. The other woman had her confused with her sister Oriana. "Where did you think you saw me before?" Miranda whispered.

"On Horizon nearly three years ago. You were with an asari and you rescued Shepard. That damn asari left me in a stasis field." The other woman grumbled.

"I've never been to Horizon." Miranda stated flatly.

The other woman seemed to notice as though for the first time the fact that Miranda was still shivering. "You're in rough shape." She sighed, whatever anger she had left abating. She settled Miranda back down on the decking and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry I was rough with you."

Miranda nodded briefly in response.

"I guess I'm just frustrated by my own mistakes." The other woman mused.

"That's usually what happens." Miranda murmured. "You serve someone loyally and they stab you in the back. The council did that to me."

"What do you mean the council did that to you?" Her cellmate asked in confusion. "I thought you were a terrorist."

"No I worked helping rid the Council of the terrorists in their midst. In return they branded me one and I've been in hiding ever since." Miranda snapped back wearily. The Council's betrayal still rankled her even after two years.

The door opened once more and the interrogator stood before them. He wore a confused expression as he took and unsteady step into the cell. With a soft whisper the interrogator collapsed onto the ground and flopped face down. A pool of blood gradually began to expand from his corpse. In a shimmer of light his assassin wavered into existence. The assassin wore blood red armour while its helmet was jet black. A pair of glowing red visual pickups and the snarling maw of a respirator served make the assassin demonic. It moved towards them with a lithe grace. As it moved a sharp blade gradually extended from its wrist until it skittered across the floor with every step. Miranda was paralyzed as it came to a stop in front of her.

"Lawson, Miranda." It stated in a sibilant, electronic voice. "You have knowledge of Section 16. Cooperate and your end will be swift and painless. Tell me what you know."

"No." Miranda stated, summoning the last of her courage.

The assassin cocked its head. It turned to look at the other woman who had wisely remained seated and unmoving. "Do you wish a demonstration? Her life is already forfeit." It stated emotionlessly.

"I will cooperate with you only if you take me to Sira." Miranda snapped back. "I want to ask her something before you kill me."

"Your terms are acceptable. Stand!" It ordered. As Miranda ascended to her feet she wavered unsteadily. The other woman caught her and steadied her. "The two of you will advance."

The pair made unsteady progress through the door of the cell, careful to avoid standing in the large puddle of blood the interrogator had produced.

"Turn right and advance to the elevator." The assassin ordered from behind them.

As they proceeded they had to climb over several corpses some in armour and others not, all were dead. As they stepped aboard the elevator the assassin slipped around behind them with an eldritch grace. Miranda knew that in her current state she was no match for the assassin. Her only hope was that Sira was more than she appeared to be.

As the elevator reached its destination the small group pilled out into the medical wing. It was deserted illuminated only by flashing red alarm lights. Miranda wondered if the assassin had already paid a visit to this particular section of the station.

"Advance down the left hallway to the quarantine room." The assassin ordered.

Quarantine had been sealed off with a bright red warning poster advertising the presence of dangerous and lethal biological agents. The warning did not phase the assassin in the slightest but it did worry Miranda's companion.

"What's in there?" She asked.

The assassin turned to stare at the woman before answering. "Your remaining lifespan is 15 minutes. Do you wish me to further shorten it?" It asked softly.

"Forget I asked." The other replied, her olive hued skin paling.

As they stepped through the isolation doors they found a standard infirmary room with a single occupant. The woman that Miranda had lately know as Juno and who she believed to be Sira lay unconscious and unresponsive in the medical bed. Her breathes came occasionally and regularly but of signs of life there were none. Miranda advanced towards Sira cautiously. The assassin followed her.

"You have seen Subject 36. Now tell me what you know." It ordered once more.

"I want to talk to her." Miranda responded angrily.

"Negative." The assassin answered flatly. "Subject 36 has been infected with a nanite pathogen for transport. She will remain in standby until returned to our facility. You will answer."

As Miranda stood there attempting to decide what her next move should be a thought that was not her own lodged itself into her mind. Without thinking she moved towards Sira's still form and took her hand.

"What are you doing?" The assassin asked, confusion seeping into its voice.

Miranda ignored it and watched as Sira's green eyes flashed open.

"Sira." Miranda stated. It was not a question and the shocked look on Sira's face told her all she needed to know. It was indeed the AI of the _Voice of Memory _before her.

Sira's eyes narrowed for a moment as she realized that they weren't alone. With a quick move she seized Miranda before hurling her out of the way. As Miranda crashed into wall of the medbay she heard a crash and a scream. Miranda pushed herself pack to her feet only to find that the assassin dead and Sira standing over his corpse. The assassin had been executed with his own wrist blade and Sira was already busily searching his corpse for weapons. When she finished she sprinted to Miranda's side.

"Goddess Miranda, you're in rough shape." Sira remarked as she quickly examined her.

"You can thank me for saving your toaster behind later." Miranda snarled.

Sira paused for a moment in her examination. "I told you the truth didn't I?" She asked softly.

"Not enough of it." Miranda snapped back.

"And now you despise me for what I am?" Sira inquired coolly.

"Yes." Miranda replied heatedly.

"Look I hate to interrupt what is clearly an intensely personal moment but we need to get out of here." The other woman interrupted.

"You are correct Lieutenant Williams." Sira remarked coldly. "Can you stand Miranda?"

In answer Miranda pulled herself back to her feet. "Did you just say Williams?"

"Lieutenant Ashley Williams, former associate of our lamented CO Emma Shepard." Sira replied tightly. "Our paths crossed on Horizon and her path crossed Oriana's." At Miranda's shocked look Sira smiled bitterly. "I thought that might pique your interest Miranda. You may hate me but you still need me and I still have need of your skills. I do not intend to let you slip through my fingers."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: After too long a wait a double length chapter of dark goodness from Erebus. The historical reference in the first para is to the comissars of the red army and to Admiral Byng who was executed cowardice. 230 Degrees Kelvin is pretty damn cold or in Celsius -45. In this chapter Emma and co recover the catalyst and if you squint you might see Liara.

As a final note if you're looking for musical accompaniment for this chapter might I suggest the soundtrack from the Thing, more specifically the end credits.(If you look closely you might notice a few references in the chapter to the movie)

Chapter XII: Insidiae

Location: Erebus Desert

Time: 1900 Shipboard

A cloud of dust rippled behind them like the phosphorescent wake of a ship plowing through an ocean of night. The cloud itself was illuminated by the lights of the cargo rover behind them. The two vehicles under Emma's command had seen a great deal of use over the course of their lives and no effort to hide that fact had been made. The same could be said of the motley band of soldiers and engineers that she had assembled to accompany her. A group of five of the ship's remaining marines had accompanied the team that she had drawn from her quarter. Kava had aided her in selecting the team and it included both Skara and Smarr along with several others. After her incident with the reactor Emma knew that most of those she didn't know would fight only as long as Skara was behind them with a loaded weapon. The entire organization brought back half forgotten memories from the history of her homeworld. In some militaries it had been the practice of the government to post an individual whose loyalties they could be certain of to watch over both the soldiers and their commanders. If either showed signs of disobeying an order then they could be execute; pour encouragé les autres. Emma had the sneaking suspicion that the cold hearted Skara would be happy to do that to her.

The only other addition to her team had been Sedna. Emma had felt guilty about drafting her for the operation especially with an infirmary full of wounded but she had reasoned that her team would likely need a medic. The truth of the matter that Emma didn't want to face was that she wanted to keep the Nyx close. Out of everyone she had met Sedna was the only one she felt comfortable with. Kava was friendly but distant, as though he had his own worries to contend with. The rest were all strangers.

The vehicles that her team had been provided with were a pair of tracked transports. Looking rather like a pair of armoured personnel carriers each had a separate armoured cab and cargo area. Each side had a sponson mounted incinerator while there were numerous firing ports for the team's weapons. One vehicle was loaded to the brim with Emma's soldiers while the other was empty save for a pair of engineers tasked with securing and transporting the catalyst.

The drive across the dark surface was long and monotonous and Emma dozed off several times. She was awoken by the transport grinding to a halt – too early to have reached its destination. Yawning Emma undid her safety harness and hauled herself out of her seat in the cab. The driver and Kava were staring out into the blackness when she reached the front of the cab. Moments later she was joined by Sedna. Emma was about to ask why they had stopped when she saw it. The landscape in front of them was illuminated by a series of multicoloured lights. As Emma's eyes adjusted she realized that the lights were coming from a forest of what she guessed to be trees. The trees ranged from small saplings to massively tall entities. Each one had thousands of dangling fronds that danced with different lights colours. As Emma watched she was captivated by the shear beauty of the oasis of light in the desert of darkness.

"They're beautiful." Kava remarked dazedly. "We didn't even know we were in the middle of this until they lit up."

Sedna snorted derisively taking Emma by surprise. "A bioluminescent copse. One of the most beautiful sights on Erebus but did you ask yourself how it survives?"

As Emma glanced back into the glowing woods she saw a shape moving. Stark against the bright lights a single xalun'tar was drawing closer to one of the trees.

"Watch closely and remember this." Sedna whispered, seeing the xalun'tar as well. "Never get too close to one of these forests. It's beauty and the beast all wrapped into one."

As Emma was about to question Sedna she saw one of the fronds snap out towards the xalun'tar and catch on to it. Strangely enough the creature did not seem to resist and willingly let itself be carried by the fronds towards the trunk of one of the larger trees. As more and more fronds began to wrap themselves around the creature it was swallowed up by the brightly pulsing lights. After several moments the light flared brightly and then disappeared leaving the crew momentarily blinded.

"It ate the xalun'tar?" Kava whispered in horror.

"It would eat you too," Sedna amended. "Provided you got close enough. I saw the way all of you were looking at the forest. You thought it would be a nice place to stop and stretch your legs. These forests are single entities that survive by luring prey into them with the one thing that doesn't occur naturally on Erebus – light."

"So they want to eat us?" Emma asked.

"Some parts they want others they leave." Sedna answered grimly.

"Get us moving." Emma ordered sharply before retreating into the back of the cab with Sedna once more.

As the vehicle jolted back into motion Sedna regarded Emma with a questioning look.

"What exactly is it that they consume?" Emma whispered, already dreading the answer.

"The organic components are digested for nutrients but that entire forest is made up primarily of nanotechnology and metal. The forest is a living embodiment of what's in your body and it wants more." Sedna explained.

"So it eats xalun'tar?"

"Primarily yes, but it isn't above eating mature individuals like you or me."

"This is a lovely little planet you've got." Emma replied sarcastically. "If the fauna don't get you the florae will."

"We should be at the mine soon." Sedna murmured. "Try not to dwell on it."

The entrance to the mine was not what Emma had expected at all. Where she had expected a hole in the ground Emma found a mountain. Most of the hour had been spent winding up a narrow road towards the top of the mountain. The mountain was completely dark which in some ways was a blessing. The pair of vehicles ground to a halt in front of a set massive metal doors. As Kava shone the vehicle's lights on them Emma was able to make out a few characters under the rust and grime but nothing that would give an indication of whether or not the mine was still inhabited or even if it had ever been inhabited. Emma let out a sigh to hide her true feelings. She knew that someone would have to go out into the darkness and see if there was some sort of manual release.

"I'll go." Emma stated. The other three occupants of the cab stared at her. "If there's anything out there then the rest of you stand a much better chance of surviving in here than out there."

"Are you insane?" Sedna blurted out.

Emma glared at her and she wilted under the fierce gaze. The other two remained silent. Emma returned to her station and grabbed the heavy great coat that she had discarded during the drive. The coat was a thick mixture of what Emma guessed to be black wool with an unyielding underlay of somewhat flexible metal mesh. After pulling it on and fastening it closed she grabbed her set of thick gloves and her ushanka. The final piece of clothing was a standard issue rebreather mask. The mask itself had limited nightvision but an otherwise poor field of view and was terribly claustrophobic. Kava had informed her that the air on Erebus was laced with both radiation and airborne toxins that would kill with sufficient exposure. Sedna had also added that some of the inhabitants of Erebus were not above using chemical and biological weapons to drive away anyone they perceived as invaders. The last thing Emma grabbed was her rifle. Kava escorted her to the apc's airlock and moments later she found herself climbing down on to the surface of Erebus.

It was bitterly cold and the ground crunched each time her booted foot made contact with it. Checking the status display on her coat's arm she watched as the temperature gradually descended to 230 degrees Kelvin. Emma knew that she had to work fast before she froze up completely and headed to the illuminated door. While the two massive doors looked thoroughly impregnable a rusty hatch to one side of the doors didn't. Getting a good grip on the door's rusty handle Emma heaved. The door slowly shrieked open as its runners ground along their unused tracks. Under the bright lights of the APC Emma had already switched off her nightvision but the light did little to illuminate whatever lay beyond the now open doorway. Reaching down to her belt Emma yanked one of her flares loose, ignited it and tossed into the darkness. The room was bathed in a shimmering red light as the flare guttered and sparkled. Emma did a double take. Still clinging to what Emma guessed was the door's manual override was a skeletal corpse. Someone had gone to great effort to close the door from the outside and had died in the process. Edging into the control room Emma moved the corpse as delicately as she could before trying her luck with the massive door release. After several tries and a lot of cursing it descended. For several moments nothing happened and then a loud groan of machinery echoed across the landscape. As Emma stepped outside she watched as the massive doors heaved themselves open. A deserted vehicle bay awaited them beyond.

As soon as the vehicles were in the bay the engineers set to work closing the massive doors once more. While Emma was uneasy about sealing of their only means of escape everyone seemed more worried about what was outside than what was inside. As the doors ground shut once more the team gathered around her. A set of alien masked visages stared at her expectantly.

"We'll be splitting into to two groups. Kava will be in charge of the vehicles. The engineers and marines will be staying here. I will take a small group into the lower levels." Emma said. "Skara, Sedna, Magnus, and Aris are with me."

The four that she had selected glanced each other before glancing back at her. With their rebreathers on it was impossible to gauge what they were each thinking but Emma had a fair idea. She could feel the icy tendrils of fear worming their way into her heart as her imagination raced ahead of her into the darkness that waited for them below. Emma checked her rifle thoroughly as the others did the same. She had a feeling that she was going to need it.

A set of rickety looking stairs awaited them at the far end of the bay. Switching on her nightvision Emma took point and cautiously descended. The stairwell seemed to go on forever as they descended flight after flight. Periodically they would encounter doors that had been welded shut or barricaded. Every instinct that Emma had was telling her to retreat back the way that they had come rather than facing what had ravaged the mine. Still they pressed on.

As they reached the bottom of the flight they ran across the first signs of life, or rather death. Sprawled at the bottom were several more corpses in earlier states of decay than the skeleton that Emma had first encountered. One of the corpses still wore a heavy coat similar to the ones worn by Emma's party. Sedna cautiously wound her way to the front of the line before bending down to examine the body. At her request Emma cracked open another flare to bath the bottom of the stairs is in dim red light.

As Sedna finished examining the body she stood and dusted off her hands. "He's been dead for a while and he's from the Phlegethon."

"The Phlegethon?" Emma asked in confusion.

"Another landship of the same class as ours." Skara supplied.

"Any idea how he died?" Emma asked.

"Without a thorough autopsy I can't say. What I can say is that he wasn't killed by anything conventional like gunfire or blades. If I had to guess I would say that it was a biological agent." Sedna concluded brusquely.

"Magnus, Aris, scout ahead. See if you can find anything." Emma ordered.

The two nodded at her before heading down the hallway at the foot of the steps. Sedna watched them depart. As Emma turned back towards Sedna a sense of movement caught her eye. As she turned towards the corpse she saw, to her horror, its hand slowly flex.

"It's moving." Emma whispered. As Sedna realized what she said she started backwards. "How is it still alive?"

"Don't ask me!" Sedna shouted.

"We can assume that it isn't friendly." Skara snapped as the corpse slowly wrapped its decomposing hand around one of the steps.

"Shoot it!" Emma ordered as she pointed her own rifle at it. The other two levelled their own weapons at it and fired. The damage to the corpse was catastrophic and it lay completely inert.

As the trio stared at the corpse Emma said what they were all thinking. "How could it do that?"

"We should see what's become of Magnus and Aris." Skara replied, clearly not wanting to think about what had happened. As she headed down the hallway to find the other two members of the team Emma turned to Sedna.

"It was turning into one of those things wasn't it?" Emma whispered. "I was becoming one of the fallen?"

"No, this is something different. Apothecaries have speculated that the nanites can animate dead tissue but have never observed it." Sedna replied unsteadily. "I don't know what this is."

"We better keep moving then." Emma sighed. As Sedna walked past she addressed her last words to the corpse. "And let us pray that there are no more surprises waiting for us further along."

As she turned to follow Sedna Emma never noticed one of the severed hands slowly flex its joints.

When the two caught up with Skara they found her staring down at another set of stairs. Unlike the previous set of stairs this set led into the massive central pit of the mine and was completely open. To illustrate the point Skara struck a flare and casually tossed it into the abyss. The trio watched the flare slowly descend until it was swallowed by the darkness.

"How far down do you think it goes?" Sedna asked nervously.

"I have no idea." Skara growled. "I also can't find Magnus or Aris and I can't raise them on the radio."

"If there isn't anywhere else they could have gone then they must have gone down." Emma reasoned.

"Whatever got them could get us." Sedna whispered fearfully.

"Nothing got them." Emma answered with a confidence that she did not feel.

"If the exarch wants to press on then we press on." Skara added decisively. Her statement was punctuated by the soft rustle of fabric against metal as she repositioned her own shotgun to point in Sedna's general direction. Sedna's only response was a half-hearted nod.

The stairs rattled and shifted with every step that Emma took and put both her and the two other behind her on edge. Their descent was uninterrupted until they came to the first landing. The landing was dark and empty just as the rest of the facility had been although it was coated in thick dust. Looking at the dust Emma was struck by an idea. Cracking open a flare and ignoring the protests of her companions Emma saw what she expected to see: there were fresh footprints leading away from the stairwell and to the landing. Emma slowly followed the footprints until they led her to a seemingly unremarkable section of the landing. As she looked around her she noticed a sign on the wall.

"Sedna, what does this say?" Emma inquired.

Sedna walked over to the sign and wiped away some of the grime. "Caution: Ore Evacuator! Ensure that machinery is switched off before performing maintenance." Sedna read.

"An ore evacuator?" Skara wondered aloud. "What is that?"

As Emma was about to respond realization struck her. Before she even had a chance to speak a loud rattle echoed throughout the pit. With a loud clunk the floor beneath them gradually began to tilt downwards. Emma attempted to scramble to safety but it was far too late as the flooring disappeared beneath her feet. Emma heard two sets of screams as she managed to catch hold of the metal flooring and stop herself from tumbling into the abyss below her. Her arms burned as she scrabbled to find a footing. Eventually she managed to wedge her boot into a gap in the flooring and push herself upwards. As she managed to haul herself to the lip of the evacuator she caught a glimpse of something moving. As she looked up the last thing she saw was a fast moving object heading for her head. Emma's vision exploded into light as the object hit her. Reflexively she put her hands up to shield her face and in doing so released her grip on the floor. A microsecond was all it took for the horrifying realization that she was falling to be processed by her brain. As she plummeted the only things she could hear were the rush of wind and her own laboured breathing.

Emma awoke with a start. Somewhere along her long fall she had passed out. Perhaps it had been a mercy but it had left her feeling thoroughly disoriented. As she pulled herself into an upright position realized that she was wearing only her underwear. Her second shock was that she was lying in a bed in an infirmary. The infirmary looked somewhat similar to the one back on the Acheron but it looked different enough to make Emma realize that she was still in the mining facility. Her gaze swiftly came to rest on a young man who was staring at her expectantly. He repeated his question and this time Emma was able to make it out.

"I asked how you were feeling. Can you hear me now?" The man asked softly.

"Yes." Emma replied softly as she studied him. His skin was a reddish hue but otherwise he looked mostly human. Something about that fact struck Emma as being odd but she couldn't actually put her finger on the why.

"I'm glad to hear it." The man said, brightly. "Sometimes visitors who go through the dispersion grid can suffer cogitative impairment."

"Dispersion grid?" Emma asked worriedly.

"It's a shield that protects the colony here." The man explained. "It traps intruders in a field preventing them from entering the colony. If we believe they are a threat we can increase the field's amplitude to cause the nanotechnology in their bodies' to disassociate."

"That would kill them." Emma realized.

"Unfortunately yes. It is our only defence against the outside world." The man answered regretfully. "Ours is not a warlike people."

"So am I your prisoner?" Emma inquired hesitantly.

"No. You are our guest. You and your people may leave at any time but you are all welcome to stay." The man replied hopefully.

"Unfortunately we can't stay. We were sent here to purchase a phoros catalyst." Emma stated matter of factly.

"I see." The man rejoined cautiously. "I don't know if we have any left. You would have to speak to our foreman. Perhaps some of your companions would want to stay though."

Emma tried her best to ignore the fact that her debating partner seemed desperate for some of her team to stay. "When might I see your foreman?"

"Whenever you wish, though you many want to dress appropriately." The man concluded glancing meaningfully at Emma's state of undress. She could feel her cheeks colouring in embarrassment at the comment. The man stood and inclined his head before leaving her. As soon as he was gone Emma was out of the bed searching for her clothes. What she found were a set of ragged homespun pants and a light shirt. There was no sign of her uniform or gear.

As she was getting dressed she noticed a set of injection tracks on her arm. Someone had either injected her with something or taken her blood, perhaps both. With a sinking feeling Emma pulled on her borrowed shirt and headed for the door. Her minder was waiting for her outside.

"I assume you're going to be keeping an eye on me?" Emma said frostily.

"Only until you get settled." The man stuttered.  
>"I don't suppose you have a name?"<p>

"Samum and you?" The man asked warmly his nervousness dissipating.

"Emma." She replied simply.

"Oh I assume that you want to see the foreman now." The man realized.

As he led her through the tunnels of the colony Emma saw a mixture of beings crowding the halls. There were some that she recognized from her time aboard the Acheron while others, like her minder, were alien. There were also children running through the narrow tunnels and access shafts of the colony. Eventually the pair drew up outside a single metal hatch. Samum opened the hatch and gestured for Emma to enter. As she walked through into the office she was taken aback by how warm and friendly it felt. Shelves of books lined one rock wall and a colourfully patterned rug had been laid on the floor. A single metal desk stood at one end along with its occupant. The foreman was of the same race as the Autarch of the Acheron albeit somewhat less scarred.

"Greetings and welcome." He rumbled happily. "I suspect that you are the leader of that little band that found their way down to our little enclave."

"I am." Emma replied simply.

"It is always good to see new faces here." The foreman replied warmly.

"What of my 'little band'? Are they all down here?" Emma asked.

"Why yes. I am sorry but we had to make sure that we got all of you down here. Some of my men lured the rest of your group down from the vehicle bay. We also had to confiscate your weapons." The foreman explained regretfully.

"It would appear as though we are at your mercy then." Emma stated a hint of suspicion creeping into her voice.

The foreman's demeanour changed from warmth to affront. "Victimization starts in your own mind." He stated hotly. "If you choose to see yourselves as prisoners then you are prisoners. Frankly I prefer to see you and your new arrivals as guests and new citizens."

"Citizens? You are aware that we are soldiers?" Emma interjected.

"Yes, I know all about the landships and how they work. I can tell you're a resha. A fresh one too because I haven't seen many of your kind before. You were pressed into service but I'm guessing that you got the cushy job." The foreman deduced. "Your grunts might have a different story to sing. A life on one of those tubs is nasty brutal and short for them. Who are you to tell them they have to go back?"

Emma was taken aback. The foreman's angry tirade had struck very close to the mark. "What kind of life can you offer them?" Emma asked quietly.

"It isn't just them. I can see it in your eyes. You don't really like your current situation any better than your grunts like it." The foreman concluded. "Perhaps I misjudged you Emma. What I can offer you is a life. Our colony is safe and civilized. There are no officers, no masters, and no slaves. We work to keep our community alive and we work to transform the surface of Erebus."

"Transform?" Emma questioned, now genuinely interested.

"Why yes." The Foreman replied, surprised. "Surely you know about the plague of the fallen? Of course you do. We are working on a way of curing them. When we are finished we will be able to eradicate every last trace of the machine plague. The dispersion field that you passed through is just the first step. With proper calibration we will be able to project the field across the entire surface of the planet. We will wipe the surface clean." The foreman finished fervently.

Emma's blood ran cold. Deep down she knew that she had seen men like the foreman before, zealots bent on creating a better world no matter the cost. Emma also had a sinking feeling that there had been times where she herself had flirted with that path.

"What happens if the people can't live without that machine plague?" Emma asked cautiously.

"We will do our very best to save all those who can be saved." The foreman intoned solemnly. "I know why you are asking me this question. You carry a heavy burden of plague within you. It sustains your existence and you fear that you cannot live without it. We can help you return to what you were before the plague took you."

Unbidden the word corpse sprang into Emma's mind. As she shook her head to clear it a sound chimed through the foreman's office.

"It is time for the evening meal. Come, I will take you to see your comrades. Afterwards I will present them with the same choice I gave you: stay or go."

The evening meal was a strained affair. Emma was reunited with her entire ground team all of whom where wearing the same simple attire as she was. Both Magnus and Aris were still missing and questions regarding them met with blank stares. When Emma asked Samum about her missing men he suggested that they may have been caught up in a cave in somewhere in the old mine. The silence was troubling but more troubling was the presence of one other person at the meal.

The only sounds in the mess hall were the clatter of crockery and the hushed whispers of the colonists. Emma's team remained silent taking their cues from her. As Emma glanced around her eye was caught by a figure all in black at one of the other tables. It didn't take long for Emma to realize that she was staring at another archimandrite. Horrifyingly she realized that the archimandrite was staring back at her and had been watching her for the entire meal. For the rest of the meal Emma kept her eyes on her food though she continued to feel the Archimandrite's gaze on her.

After the meal the team was escorted to a bunkroom where the foreman gave them much the same speech as he had given Emma. His offer was undeniably attractive and even generous. As he left he gave them all the night to think it over. As soon as he left the room erupted into chaos. Without the peace of the gun provided by Skara and to a lesser extent Kava the lower ranking crewmembers were a disorganized bunch. Eventually Emma had to restore order by banging a metal bowl against a pipe. As room quieted Emma spoke.

"Bonds forged by the threat of violence are some of the weakest in existence. Once the threat is gone they break and sunder. I understand that our little group is bound together by that very same threat of violence and that I am one of the ones doing the threatening. It would not have been my choice to lead you like this and in some ways I am as much a victim of circumstance as you are but, as we now see, our circumstances have changed. We are now all equals and we now face a difficult choice. On the one hand we can try to complete our mission and save our fellow crewmates. That would mean going back into servitude. It may even mean death for us all if the Acheron has fallen during our absence." There was a grumble of dissent at this point from the assembled group but Emma pressed on. "On the other hand we have an opportunity to stay here. We have a chance to settle here and make new lives. The only obstacle to that is to spit on the oaths all of us took and to condemn the rest of the crew of the Acheron to certain death. Bearing both of these points in mind I put it to all of you what do you choose?"

One of the engineers narrowly managed to head of the impending clamour first. "Begging your pardon ma'am but it ain't as simple as you say. See I talked to one of the colony's engineers and he said to me that they only have the one catalyst. There isn't another one to be had for love or money around these parts. If we was to take it from their reactor we would be leaving them without power and we have to fight our way back to the vehicles. If they have our weapons then it's just suicide."

"Thank you for that information." Emma replied tightly. At the same time she was thinking, 'Yes thank you for telling me that and eliminating whatever chance we had of completing the mission.'

The clamour began again, louder this time. The majority of the voices favoured staying now and anyone who had formerly supported completing the mission was forced into silence by the complete untenablity of their position. Even Skara and Kava looked on helplessly their arguments silenced by the cold hand of reason. Sedna looked over at Emma only to see her form departing into the hallway. She already knew which way any vote was going to go.

For Emma the choice was clear cut. She knew that despite the foreman's rhetoric she would end up being sacrificed in the name of progress. Much as she disliked her situation on the Acheron it was the only place where she felt as though she had any hope of making sense of what had happened to her. The corridors were deserted as Emma wandered the colony. No doubt the colonists felt safe in the knowledge that she could do little without her weapons. Taking a wrong turn somewhere Emma found herself in what looked rather like a church.

The room was a long hall with a vaulted ceiling. There were several rows of metal benches with numerous metal statues nestled away in several niches. The numerous burning candles coupled with the copper sheen of the metal and the sand colour of the rock to make the entire church very inviting. Emma wandered down the length of the hall towards the central altar. At the centre of the altar was an immense statue of a woman with what appeared to be a halo made up of a thousand tiny fronds.

"The goddess is beautiful is she not," A soft voice purred. "My love?"

Emma spun around to confront the source of the voice which was so familiar and yet so alien. She found herself staring at the approaching black cloaked figure of the archimandrite.

"My love?" Emma asked in confusion.

"Of course." The archimandrite responded confidently. "I love all of my parishioners, some more than others and you most of all. You know before my calling found me I used to believe in a goddess something like this one."

The archimandrite drew up beside Emma. For the first time Emma realized the black robbed figure was the same height as she was. With a sudden start Emma also realized that unlike the previous archimandrite this one was female. From the folds of one the archimandrite's voluminous sleeves a black gloved hand emerged. It reached out and slowly caressed the side of Emma's face with an almost wistful care before withdrawing its hand back into its sleeve.

"I know you don't I?" Emma realized.

"You knew me Emma." The archimandrite responded softly. "You must come with me. There are things I must show you. Painful things."

With that the archimandrite turned and hurried back the way she came. Emma followed as quickly as she could but the archimandrite was faster by far. Emma's chase ended in front of a massive bronze doorway. The archimandrite was waiting patiently for her. Not saying a word the archimandrite quickly entered her security code into the nearby release panel. As the door opened and Emma was able to see what lay on the other side she clutched her hands to her mouth to stifle her horror. On the other side lay a lab. Floating inside numerous specimen tanks were various parts of what had once been living beings. Some, like the corpse Emma had encountered on her way down were still animated. Emma ground to a halt in front of one tank that held the floating head of what used to be Aris. The eyes watched her as she stared at it. For a brief moment she saw her own face reflected back at her in the glass.

"I'm sorry but you had to see." The archimandrite apologized. "They want you to stay but only so that they can put you in one of those tanks. Most of your group will follow you. The research that this colony performs is for the most noble of reasons but performed in the most ignoble of ways. You must save yourself and your crew."

"Why me?" Emma asked, darkly, as she continued to stare into the tank.

"You have a destiny Emma and that destiny does not see you ending up as a specimen in a vat." The archimandrite answered forcefully. "Your weapons are stored in a storage room at the back of this lab. You should have no trouble overpowering the colonists and taking the phoros from them."

"And in doing so condemn them to death." Emma finished.

"Not everyone can be saved Emma. Some sacrifices will have to be made." The archimandrite intoned solemnly. "There are innocents here just as there back aboard the Acheron."

"You already know what I'm going to do don't you?" Emma realized.

"Yes." The response was a predatory purr.

"What happens to you?" Emma asked worriedly.

"I'm coming with you." The archimandrite responded simply.

"And what makes you think that?" Emma questioned already dreading the answer.

"You, Emma, are an honourable woman. You know I saved your life so you will repay me by saving mine." The archimandrite paused and examined her gloved hand. "If you don't choose to honour our arrangement then I will personally place you on that specimen table and take a great deal of pleasure in making you cry."

Emma slowly backed away in horror at the archimandrite's casual attitude to discussing torture. The archimandrite turned back to the tank and with a swift motion drove her fist through the glass and seized the severed head with her hand. With a casual gesture she tossed the head to Emma who caught it with a disgusted look.

"Your shipmates will need convincing and a picture, or in this case a head, is worth a thousand words." The archimandrite said dismissively.

Emma continued to slowly back away from the archimandrite, her grisly trophy clutched in her hands.

"Don't be long my love." She heard the archimandrite call after her.

It was a stunned silence that greeted the arrival of Aris's head. That silence soon morphed in to a very vocal rage on the part of the gathered team. All thought of settling in the colony had been erased with the arrival of the head. The team trooped down to the laboratory and gathered their weapons. While most of the team went to collect the catalyst from the reactor Emma, Sedna and the Archimandrite remained behind in the laboratory. Sedna was clearly disgusted by what she found in the laboratory and it was only with considerable persuasion on Emma's part that she downloaded the lab's database onto a portable drive. The archimandrite silently watched them while they worked. When they all turned to leave Sedna reacted with anger to the fact that the Archimandrite was still with them.

"We're taking it with us?" Sedna practically screamed. "Do you know what it will do to you once we get back to the ship?"

"I know what she'll do to me if I don't." Emma responded angrily.

"We can kill it." Sedna responded simply as she pointed her weapon at the Archimandrite.

"Your hot tempered concubine is correct. You can kill me." The archimandrite added, nonplused at the discussion of her impending murder.

"Concubine? Why you abomination!" Sedna growled.

"My that's a lot of stress you're carrying around. I take it you haven't enjoyed the fruits of your labour yet, Apothecary?" The archimandrite laughed.

"Enough!" Emma barked. "I gave her my word and she saved my life in a manner of speaking. She comes with us."

Sedna grumbled but holstered her pistol.

"I won't forget this." The archimandrite added quietly.

A scream of rage echoed through the halls of the colony indicating that the second team had run into trouble. As the trio sprinted for the exit they soon found the source of the disturbance. The second team had formed a protective circle around the engineers carrying the large container of phoros. Surrounding them were the colonists. Some were begging them to return the catalyst while others were raging at them. Periodically one would get too close to the circle and be driven back by the butt of a rifle or shotgun. It was a vision out of the gates of hell and one that Emma had never wanted to see. Emma and her group were able to make their way around to mob and directly to the colony's exit door. As the group carrying the phoros approached them the mob became increasingly violent. Emma unslung her rifle and sent a single round over the top of the mob. The ragged colonists turned to face her, their eyes beseeching.

"The phoros will be taken to our vehicles." Emma stated harshly. "The first one of you that attempts to stop us will be shot."

"If you take that phoros we're dead!" One colonist yelled as the group neared the open hatchway.

"If you try to stop us you're dead." Emma shouted back. "At least the other way you still have some hope."

"There is no hope. The fallen will be all over us the moment you leave." Another voice shouted.

"If you have any vehicles then you should leave here." Emma attempted.

"We have nothing, you took it all from us!" The foreman shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the mob. By that point Emma had crossed through the pressure door at the entrance of the colony and she was bringing up the rear.

"I'm sorry I have no choice." Emma whispered. With a swift movement she hit the door control causing the door close.

"I name you, Emma Shepard, our destroyer! Our Murderer!" The foreman cried out before the door silenced him forever.

With another swift movement Emma rammed her rifle butt into the door panel destroying the mechanism and jamming the door closed. She collapsed against the door the tears running down her face. She could still hear the desperate thumping coming from behind her. Eventually Sedna came back and hauled her onto her feet. It was with a pitying look that she escorted Emma to the lift to the surface.

With the phoros safely stowed aboard the vehicle the convoy set off from the bay. As Emma sat brooding staring out into the darkness she saw the glowing red figures drawing towards the mountain. The xalun'tar knew that the colony was vulnerable and they were there to collect; to repay the possibility of their own annihilation with the certainty of the colony's annihilation. As the convoy reached the bottom of the hill the xalun'tar parted before them. The fallen ones drew themselves into ranks and as Emma watched one particularly ragged looking specimen of what could once have been a woman gave her a mocking salute. As she sat there staring into the darkness a part of her knew that it had been Inaa that had saluted her. Another part of her knew that she had quite a bit in common with the abomination that had once been a woman.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Writing this chapter took far longer than I would have liked due to a combination of Real Life and a need to further map out where I was going with Miranda's narrative(Shepard's narrative doesn't suffer from the same problem). At long last though I finally finished this chapter. As a single explanatory note Aria is not calling Sira an Ardat Yakashi but uses the second part of the term to call her a demon. Hope you all enjoy and leave me a review!

Chapter XIII: Reconstruction and Deconstruction

Omega

Three Weeks Later

To Miranda Sira had all the very worst traits of both an AI and her human template; Emma Shepard. Sira could display all the cold hearted logic of a computer whenever she felt the situation called for it but should the situation change Sira could be just as irrational and emotional as Emma. She had also picked up Emma's inherent combativeness not to mention some of Emma's figure. The last thought brought Miranda up short. She had been seething about Sira's frustrating personality up until she had begun to think about Sira's appearance and that brought back uncomfortable memories. Miranda did her best to dismiss her thoughts as the after effects of three weeks on the run.

Thinking back to when she had found Sira Miranda realized that she never would have made it off Gagarin Station without her. Miranda had been physically and mentally depleted by the time she had been reunited with Sira. As soon as Sira was awake she had efficiently taken control of the situation. Most of what had happened next was a blur but Miranda vividly remembered the inside of a freighter followed by a cargo transfer point. This pattern had continued for the past three weeks and it had done nothing for Miranda's health. Despite being genetically engineered she had managed to contract a nasty fever and had several vivid bouts of hallucinations during their time on the run. In the end they had all washed up in Omega in an apartment in the Rokozu quarter.

Miranda's strength had returned swiftly after they had stopped moving around no thanks to the constant bickering between Ash and Sira. The former Alliance soldier had reluctantly thrown in with them mainly because she had had no other choice. Miranda didn't think that it had taken Ash long to figure out that Sira wasn't really organic. Ash had an even greater technophobia than Miranda did which made the arguments between the two even more fiery. In short Ash blamed both Miranda and Sira for transforming Shepard into what she deemed to be little better than a Reaper in human form. Whenever Ash made that argument a sad smile would play across Sira's features as though she was agreeing with Ash.

The state of relations between Miranda and Sira was best described as an uneasy cold war with both sides doing their best to ignore the other. Whenever Miranda ran into Sira, which was more often than she would have liked given how small the apartment was, Sira would ask how she was doing before going about whatever she was doing. Each time Miranda noticed a subtle twitch around Sira's mouth that manifested immediately after she had finished speaking. It was almost as though the AI had something else to say but couldn't find the courage or the right words to say it.

While Sira had attended to the trio's material needs it didn't help matters that the three were basically confined to the apartment in an effort to minimize their chances of being detected. They all knew that the Alliance and Section 16 would be after them and that neither would have any compunction about kidnapping or murdering any one of them on Omega. Unfortunately it also left them with far too much time on their hands and little to do except consider past mistakes and uncertain futures. Sira had somehow managed to smuggle her 'orb of mystery', as Miranda had come to call it, along with her. She had only seen Sira with the Quietus twice and both times had been enough to make her suspicious. One time she had caught Sira reviewing starmaps while the second time she seemed to be plotting an intensely complex set of courses and navigational intercepts. Miranda knew that Sira was planning something and that she wasn't sharing what she was doing with anyone. It made Miranda wonder about what may have happened had she simply forgiven and trusted Sira rather than giving voice to her feelings.

The trio didn't have to wait long before their peace was shattered - after all they had taken refuge on Omega. It had been late one night when a loud pounding had emanated from the door. The three were on their feet in moments seizing their chosen weapons. As they cautiously advanced on the door the loud banging began again. Curiosity got the better of Miranda and she hit the door release control. Miranda suspected that whoever was knocking wasn't there to try and abduct them. After all, she reasoned, they would never knock when they could simply breach the door with explosives. Waiting outside were a pair of batarian mercenaries.

"Finally!" One of the batarians growled. "Aria wants to see all of you. Now!"

"Why?" Miranda asked, keeping her pistol pointed in the Batarian's direction.

"Do you think she would bother telling me that?" The batarian snorted in amusement. "This is Aria asking politely. You don't want to see what happens when she isn't polite."

"You heard our batarian friend." Sira interjected cheerfully. "If the queen of Omega wants to see us then we had best not keep her waiting."

"And what if we're walking straight into a trap." Ash interrupted, her ire rising. "Did that even occur to that collection of circuits you call a brain?"

Sira gave a long suffering sigh. "Of course it's a trap. Or an eviction." Sira mused. "Either way we've stayed too long here as it is.

Miranda was inclined to agree with Sira's logic and suspected that Ash was simply arguing with Sira for the sake of giving voice to her displeasure with Sira's absolute leadership. There were times that the AI had a cocky superiority when it came to leading them into trouble. Miranda sighed as she nodded her agreement to the batarians.

Afterlife was much as it had always been; a heaving, roiling mass of sentient life that, if one wasn't careful, would devour you without the slightest provocation. Aria was standing surveying it all in her customary spot when the three arrived before her dais. Aria turned around to take in the new arrivals.

"Now there's a familiar face." Aria remarked as the corners of her mouth twitched in faint amusement. She turned towards the other two members of Miranda's group with a frown. "You two I don't know."

"Then what caused you to invite us to you're little soirée?" Sira jibed.

"The promise of a rich bounty on the three of you did pique my interest." Aria responded in a cold, disinterested tone. "But what made more interested was the fact that the buyer was anonymous party and despite my agents' best efforts remained anonymous. I don't need to explain to you why this would be a problem for Omega."

"And you want us to tell you who put the bounty on our heads?" Sira responded snidely.

"That was going to be one of the questions I'd have you answer." Aria shot back.

"Is it possible that it's a Cerberus bounty?" Ash asked shooting a glare Miranda's way.

"No, Cerberus doesn't bother to conceal their identity here."

"What about an Alliance bounty?" Miranda interjected shooting a glare back Ash's way.

"Again no." Aria grumbled. "The Alliance doesn't make any secret of its identity and their bounty on you is too small to be worth my trouble."

"Well then that about expends our list of those who hate us doesn't it?" Sira concluded hopefully.

"What about that assassin on Gagarin station?" Ash added unexpectedly. "Didn't you say that he wasn't Alliance?"

Sira just sighed deeply. Miranda suspected that if a hard flat object had been within range Sira would have banged her head against it. Ash's words caught Aria's attention and prowled over towards Sira.

"So your companion suggests that there is another party that may have posted the bounty." Aria purred.

"Oh I wouldn't listen to her. She's very unreliable in fact she's insane." Sira grumbled.

Ignoring Ash's outraged look Aria continued to focus on Sira. "I don't think so. In fact I think she doesn't like you too much. There's no point in denying what she's said. So why not tell me what you know?"

"What's in it for us? If I tell you what I know then what's to stop you from handing us over for the not inconsiderable bounty on our heads?" Sira asked.

"Nothing except my curiosity." Aria answered. "And both my patience and curiosity are fast wearing thin.

"The organization is known as Section 16." Miranda interrupted.

"Miranda!" Sira hissed angrily.

"We have no choice!" Miranda shot back.

"Section 16? I've never heard of them." Aria added. "Tell me more."

"Sira knows more than I do about them. Apparently they're a group of rogue Spectres that have been working to shape the galaxy to their own design."

"And why have I never heard of them before?" Aria said sceptically.

"They wouldn't be much of a secret organization if you had heard of them before." Sira sighed. "From what little I've gathered on Section 16 they work through proxies."

"Like the Blue Suns?" Ash chimed in.

Sira laughed. "The Blue Suns are the merest tip of the spear. If the Blue Suns were working for Section 16 there would be no trail whatsoever back to the organization. What Section 16 does is set chains of events in motion. Their greatest strength comes from their ability to precisely identify shatterpoints and exploit them."

"Shatterpoints?" Ash asked in confusion.

"A weak point in the flow of events, a tipping point if you will." Sira explained. "Section 16 is able to identify these weak points and manipulate them so that chains of events involving actors ranging from the Blue Suns all the way up to the Citadel council react in a way that reshapes the galaxy according to their grand design. They are rivalled in power only by the Reapers themselves."

"If what you are saying is true then how exactly do they manage this feat?" Aria inquired, sounding even more sceptical.

"If I had the answer to that question I wouldn't confide it to anyone." Sira answered simply. "But I don't have the answer so that point is academic."

"One thing doesn't add up. Why do they have a bounty on the three of you?" Aria questioned.

"Simple. I'm a valuable specimen and Miranda and Ash are just collateral damage." Sira replied with a smirk. "They've been irreversibly contaminated by my presence and will have to be eliminated. I suspect that they will also eliminate whoever attempts to collect on the bounty as well simply on the off chance that they may have gleaned something useful about Section 16."

"Very convenient. If what you say is true you have just made my men and I targets." Aria snarled.

"Have I?" Sira asked innocently.

"So tell me what makes you such a valuable specimen?" Aria growled.

Sira's smile only grew broader. With a flash Sira was replaced by a mirror image of Aria. Another flash and Sira wore Shepard's face in place of her own. The illusion shimmered and dissolved in a cascade of light leaving one final illusion. The mercenaries and Aria recoiled in horror at what Sira had become. Where there had once been reddish brown hair there was a mass of metallic strands. Green eyes had been replaced with a set of glowing red ones and where once there had been warm flesh there was only cold black metal. Sira remained roughly humanoid in appearance but her new form was the stuff that nightmares were made off.

"And this is what lies beneath." Sira hissed. "Be careful in future what of requests you make of demons. The granting of them may make you wish that you had never made them."

With a wash of light the final illusion dissolved and Sira returned to her original form.

"What are you?" Aria and Ash asked in unison.

"A cybernetic body housing the guiding intelligence of what was once the _Voice__of__Memory._" Sira retorted angrily.

"You're a machine!" Ash spat. "I'll bet you were built by the Reapers."

"And would you stop using the mass relays because they had been built by the Reapers?" Sira baited.

Ash was momentarily silenced but Aria was not so encumbered. "You three are obviously all dangerous and leaving any of you here on Omega will just attract unwanted attention. It's far better that when you are found you are found far away from here."

"And just what are you going to do with us?" Miranda asked carefully as she recovered from the shock of seeing Sira's endoskeleton.

"I'll have my men leave the three of you on Terra Nova, from there you will be on your own." Aria decided.

"Terra Nova is controlled by the Systems Alliance or had you forgotten." Ash blurted out.

"If you're too stupid to evade the Alliance then that's your problem." Aria said dismissively. With a brusque gesture she waved her mercenaries forward.

As the guards surrounded them Sira sketched an ironic bow. "Many thanks for the free transport off Omega. I can only hope that the mercenaries that you're sending with us are all expendable." Sira laughed before her expression slowly shifted from amusement to a predatory grin. "You do know that I won't be forgetting this, Aleena."

Aria seemed momentarily taken aback by Sira's finally comment but her impassive mask slid seamlessly back into place. "We shall see, Yakashi."

The transport that Aria had given her mercenaries was little better than a disused relic of a bygone era. The cargo bay where the mercenaries had left the three women was dimly lit and mostly empty. It was covered in machine oil and had a smell to match. Sira was the first to move and quickly set to work cleaning off a large cargo container to sit on. Miranda wasn't surprised by Sira's cheerfully oblivious attitude. She suspected that in situations that would have reduced an organic to rage or sadness Sira simply suspended her emotions until she was in a more suitable situation. As she and Ash joined Sira on her now mostly clean container Ash voiced the concern that had been eating away at Miranda.

"Back on Omega you didn't answer my question. Were you created by the Reapers?" Ash asked quietly.

Sira sighed. "You know Ash you're a lot more intelligent than I give you credit for. Most people would have been content to interpret what I said whatever way suited them. You want me to give you an empirical answer. That answer is yes. This body is a Reaper construct."

Ash was quiet for several seconds. Miranda took the opportunity to interrupt. "And your mind? Was that created by the Reapers?"

It was Sira's turn to lapse into silence. Miranda could almost see the wheels turning in Sira's mind and suspected that Sira was deciding whether or not she should lie. Finally Sira confessed. "My mind was also designed and built by agents of the Reapers."

Miranda reeled at the blow that Sira had just delivered. Not only was the AI, a being that Shepard had trusted implicitly, a machine but she was also created by the Reapers.

"There is one other thing that you should know." Sira added. "Both of you were designed by the Reapers though in a less direct way."

"And just what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Ash growled.

"While Shepard was in command of the _Voice__of__Memory_ we became trapped in a spatial anomaly. Inside the anomaly was a station that dated back to the Reapers birth. That station was part of a vast network that formed an experimental apparatus aimed at studying various artificial created organisms. These organisms were seeded across the galaxy. Periodically the Reapers stepped in to cleanse the galaxy of all life. Their secondary goal was to store the sum total of the knowledge and experience of whatever life they were extinguishing."

"That's impossible!" Ash ground out. "It's a lie!"

"It isn't." Miranda whispered. "I was there for part of it."

"Miranda is correct. Up until now only Shepard and Liara knew the truth. The guiding intelligence of the Reapers engineered all of the sentient races in the galaxy including humans. I still don't know why it did that though I suspect that Shepard does." Sira opined.

"If what you say is true it still doesn't make us alike." Ash reasoned. "While we may have been engineered we still retain free will and we are products of our society and culture. You are a direct product of the Reapers and an embodiment of their goals."

"And because of that I'm incapable of feeling or having free will?" Sira asked angrily.

"Yes! Free will would be antithetical to the needs of the Reapers. They may only have given you the illusion of free will to make you relate better to us." Ash responded.

"The most glaring flaw of humanity reveals itself." Sira growled. "Hubris; belief born of your pride and arrogance that you know more than others. You know so very little about me and yet you condemn me simply on the basis of my origins. Perhaps I should condemn you as a coward because your grandfather's actions?"

Sira's comment struck a nerve in Ash. "You take that back!" Ash snarled.

"Enough!" Miranda shouted. "We're trapped on this freighter and you two are about to come to blows. If Sira was really a Reaper then she wouldn't bother talking to you or insulting you. She would just kill you or indoctrinate you. Sira isn't just a Reaper she has her own agenda and so far," Miranda shot Sira a withering look. "She hasn't deigned to share it with anyone. You may not be a Reaper Sira but you still can't be trusted."

Sira was silent for some moments before her eyes took on a dangerous glint. "Trust _me_?" Sira asked rhetorically her voice distorting with anger. "You think that trust would solve any of your problems? You. Poor. Naïve. Organic."

Miranda slowly backed away from the incensed AI as Ash did the same.

Sira rose to her feet a corona of dark energy gradually began to swirl around her. "You think being able to trust me would bring you peace but all it will bring you is pain. If it is pain you seek then drink deep of the cup I offer."

Sira's tirade was interrupted by a loud shriek of tearing metal. The interruption did not phase Sira in the slightest and she seemed even less surprised by the sudden arrival of the massive metal leg that rammed itself into the cargo bay. With a hiss a section of the leg opened to reveal only darkness. With two swift strides Sira closed the distance between her and Miranda seized her arm with a single vice like hand.

Turning to Ashley she said, "You can either come with me or you can die in the vacuum when this leg is pulled out."

"Let go of me!" Miranda snarled as she threw a biotic push at Sira. She watched in horror as the energy simply dissipated around Sira. Sira laughed darkly and gave Miranda a sharp yank to get her moving. Ash wisely shadowed the two into the leg.

The inside of the leg was pitch black but Sira was completely unhindered by the darkness. After several minutes of walking the three emerged into the dimly lit murk of the vessel's central core. Staring into the shear vastness of the vessel's interior Miranda realized that she was on board a Reaper. She turned to say something to Ash only to find that the other woman was gone. Her next words were cut of by Sira giving her arm another sharp jerk. The two wound their way across several platforms that seemed to rear up out of the ether that was the Reaper's insides. Branching off from one of the platforms was a path into another dark companionway. Beyond the companionway was a large circular room with a single pedestal in the room's centre. The floor was covered in eddying reddish vapours which seemed to collect around Miranda's feet. Without a word Sira released her grip on Miranda and stalked away from her to the central pedestal. Miranda took her freedom as an opportunity to escape the clearly enraged AI but as she turned back to the companionway she found only a blank wall in its place.

"A Cerberus scientist once remarked that a god is a verb and that it warps the very fabric of reality just by existing. That was shortly before he succumbed to madness and indoctrination." Sira remarked quietly her form turned away from Miranda. She slowly turned her head until it was in profile. "He was only speaking about a dead Reaper. This one is very much alive. Watch as your reality becomes fluid and know that I tried to spare you but you would not listen to me."

As Miranda watched the red mist whipped itself into a howling frenzy around them. As Miranda stood there she began to hear whispers. The whispers blended with a howl until it became too much for her to bear. Abruptly all was silent. As Miranda opened her eyes she found herself staring at a giant statue of a female figure. The figure was mostly humanoid apart from being made entirely of metal and having a medusa like head full of wires. As she looked on the figure opened its eyes and stared at her with a pair of boiling white pits. Miranda screamed in horror and shut her eyes in a vain effort to deny the existence of the being before her.

When she opened them again she found herself in a vast dark expanse of desert.

"Your suspicion will be the end of you Miranda." A voice laughed.

As she turned she found herself confronted with the apparition of Shepard once more.

"Shepard?" Miranda asked cautiously.

"Am I real?" The apparition asked.

"I don't know." Miranda replied.

"Oh there are days when I wish I wasn't." The apparition sighed. "Days when I wish I hadn't seen what I've seen. Days I wish I hadn't had to do what I've done. It was all because of a vision. A vision of horror and death."

"The vision from the beacon?" Miranda asked.

"Yes." Shepard hissed spitefully. "So much pain that knowledge caused me. So much pain it will cause me. I am here to share that knowledge – that pain with you."

"No!" Miranda shouted in denial.

"No?" Shepard laughed. "You have no choice. We tried to shield you. We tried to protect you! Despite it all you rejected our efforts. You knew better. You thought that Sira was manipulating you when all she was doing was protecting you. She really does genuinely love you Miranda."

"She does?" Miranda asked.

"You tormented her so. Rejecting her time after time. Holding what she is against her. You never deigned to talk to her, to reconcile with her." Shepard chided. "Now it is far too late. Behold!"

With a flash of light Miranda saw the blue green ball of Earth sitting before her. As continued to watch a large object swept by her momentarily obstructing her view. As looked around her she could see thousands of objects hurtling towards Earth. In horror she realized what the objects were. One after another they descended into the atmosphere. As Miranda watched the blue globe gradually began to change. Great billowing orange firestorms appeared on the green lands while the blue of the oceans gave way to dismal brown. By the time it was all over the Earth had been transformed into a burning reddish brown ball.

"All so that they can make us into them." Shepard concluded. "All so that they can make _you_into one of them."

As Shepard finished Miranda felt a strange prickling in her hands. As she lifted them to her face she watched her skin gradually begin to turn into dust revealing the bones beneath. The effect continued until the point that she tried to scream and found that she had no voice left to scream with.

"This is what will happen to all of humanity if you should fail." Shepard intoned solemnly.

To Miranda's profound relief she realized that her dissolution had been an illusion and that she was really still intact. As she looked back up she saw, for the first time, the Maelstorm Nebula.

"The Maelstorm Nebula is the end of your journey. It is heavily defended and is a key part of the Reaper's grand design. So long as it remains in the hands of Section 16 or in the hands of the Reapers then Earth's destruction is certain. If you lead an assault to capture the station then you have a slim chance of changing the outcome of the Reapers' invasion." Shepard explained. "Anyone who attacks the station will certainly die."

"Why do we have to capture the station?" Miranda asked, shakily.  
>"The station draws its power from a cluster of singularities. The station stabilizes the cluster and if it were destroyed then it would suck whatever ships were nearby into the singularities. Since the station is crucial to the Reapers long term goals they will fight tooth and claw to recapture it. By holding it you will draw them into a single final battle and, hopefully, wipe them out entirely."<p>

Miranda's mind quickly grasped the truth that Shepard wasn't telling her. "I have to draw an entire fleet into the Maelstorm to tie down the Reapers long enough to prevent them from escaping."

"And in doing so condemn them all to death." Shepard finished. "In order to save the galaxy you must send thousands if not millions of sentient beings to their certain deaths. This is the hard truth we tried to shield you from."

Miranda's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. The enormity of what she had been tasked to do defied words. As she was about to ask another question the mists dissipated leaving Miranda in the room with Sira once more.

Sira was sitting with her back to the wall looking at Miranda. The AI looked profoundly weary and saddened. Miranda had the sneaking suspicion that Sira had witnessed everything that she had seen.

"So now you know why I lied to you. Everything we have done has been to ready you for this moment. Unfortunately this moment has come too quickly and we have run out of time. The Reapers are near, a month away perhaps." Sira explained regretfully.

Miranda was still in shock. "Why me?" She finally asked.

"If not you then whom?" Sira returned.

"The Council!"

"Traitorous and power hungry. They have betrayed both you and Shepard."

"The Alliance?"

"All of the major governments are too weak and corrupt to fight this. At this very moment the Alliance is tearing itself apart from a Cerberus orchestrated witch hunt. The turians will never help us and neither the asari republics nor the salarians can bring sufficient numbers to the fight. All we have are scattered dissident groups and the combined forces of the quarians and the Geth. Amongst them there are none more suited to lead than you."

"What about you Sira?" Miranda asked, a note of anxious hope creeping into her voice.

"Did you see Ash react to me? Did you notice how you treated me when you knew what and who I am?" Sira replied bitterly. "Organics will never trust me and they have to trust their leader."

Miranda felt a profound sense of guilt at Sira's accusation. She realized that she had been too quick to objectify the other woman simply on the basis of what she was. Another thought struck Miranda. "What about Shepard?"

"Ah yes." Sira laughed ruefully. "Whatever happened to Emma?"


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This was quite the enjoyable chapter for me to write. I also did as some reviewers asked and slowed the action down a bit to allow for a more detailed description of Meridia. All in all its a relatively slow chapter. On a related point my research into the roman currency system(which Meridia and Erebus uses) led me to discover that a quinarii is actually a form of currency.(Not so original now are you Bioware!) In another related note this chapter features a semi-direct quote from the last scene of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, see if you can spot it (or any of the other references to that game). All that said enjoy this next chapter and please leave me a review so that I may improve my future offerings.

Chapter XIV: Shore Leave

_Meridia_

_The de facto capital Erebus, Meridia, is also its largest city. An architectural and scientific marvel Meridia is home to over ten million sentient beings. The City of Meridia is composed of two levels. The upper level is home to the government district and to the city's administration and business quarters. The upper level is situated on an artificial structure that was erected over the lower city. The lower city is home to much of the city's heavy industry and residential sectors. Despite the presence of industry the lower city remains clean and safe due to the presence of Meridia's omnipresent law enforcement. Crimes are swiftly punished and the only mercy comes from the Church. Landships often make port in Meridia with valuable cargos of raw materials. Whenever a Landship arrives there is a general expectation that its crew will inject substantial wealth into the local economy. Visitors often patronize Meridia's many fine drinking and 'dancing' establishments in the lower city. For the more cultured the upper city offers many cultural activities ranging from salon parties to theatre to museums. Visitors should be aware that dybbuk houses while legal are extremely dangerous and that patrons of such establishments enter them at their own risk._

_-From Meridia in a Minute: A Tourist's Guide_

The days following Emma's away mission and her fateful decision had passed in a blur. After that mission Emma had become deadened to the world around her and for the first time she understood why so many of the crew were stand-offish and sullen. News of what she had done had circulated amongst the crew and the vast majority had developed a grudging respect for her. Even Lanar had kept his distance from her. Unfortunately Sedna was also keeping her distance and that absence had been making itself felt over the past several days. The loneliness of her rank had gradually been eating away at Emma causing her to withdraw into herself. Her only companion had been the helpful AI, Sira, who had been assisting her in deciphering Inaa's diary. As best as Emma had been able to determine from her limited grasp of Inaa's language, Inaa had experienced many of the same feelings of disorientation and alienation that Emma was feeling. The translation of the diary was Emma's only source of entertainment and the rest of her days had been consumed by the drudgery of duty shifts and training.

It was after another long monotonous shift in the Styges Quarter control centre that Emma first noticed that the Acheron seemed to be slowing down. It always seemed that she was the last one to hear anything about their destination or mission objectives, she reflected. As she paused outside her quarters the vox crackled to life.

"Crew of the Acheron," Came the voice of the Autarch. "We have suffered through much but that suffering makes our homecoming all the sweeter. We are on our final approach to Meridia and will arrive in just under two hours. There will be shore leave for all officers and crew while an extensive repair and refit is conducted. I want to say that there has been no crew more deserving of a shore leave than this crew. That is all."

The words 'shore leave' brought back fragments of pleasant memories involving reunions and peace to Emma's mind. The fragments did little to allay Emma's growing sense of unease about being cast out into yet another strange world. Emma sighed loudly and opened the door to her quarters. Concluding her silent debate Emma decided that taking the shore leave would be infinitely preferable to staying, trapped, aboard the Acheron. Rooting through her locker Emma found a well worn duffle bag and set to work filling it with her inherited clothes. As she gathered up her few pieces of civilian attire and both her dress uniform and a clean uniform Emma debated what else she would need for a long spell in a strange city. She gathered up both Inaa's diary, her own notebook of translations and her ebony stylus. Working slowly and carefully Emma gradually detached Sira's interface gauntlet from her terminal and powered it on experimentally. A tiny version of Sira's avatar sprang to life with a questioning look.

"What are you doing?" Sira asked in confusion.

"Taking you with me on shore leave." Emma answered simply.

"You do know that most of me will be remaining here on the ship and that AIs have no need for shore leave?" Sira prodded.

"Don't play me for a fool Sira." Emma laughed. "I know that gauntlet is full of sensors, enough for you to actually experience wherever it is."

"That may be true but it doesn't answer the question of why you're doing this. Why do you feel the need to take me with you?" Sira interrogated.

"You helped me with the translations." Emma lied. Sira's avatar give her a disdainful look instantly letting her know that her deception had been noticed. "Fine, I think you deserve shore leave as much as I do."

Sira was silent for several moments. "Thank you." She said simply. With that comment she winked out of existence.

Emma slowly buckled the gauntlet onto her right hand before looking around her quarters to see if she had missed anything. Her small arms locker caught her eye. Figuring it was better to be safe than sorry she hauled both her pistol and dagger out of the locker. With practiced ease she slid her sheathed dagger into her boot before checking her pistol's ammunition. Looking over at her chronometer she found that she had a little over an hour before the Acheron reached port. Setting her pistol on her desk Emma settled back into her seat for a short catnap.

Emma awoke as the Acheron came to a juddering stop. As she was rising to her feet a loud rap came from her door. Opening it she found herself staring at Kava.

"Catch you at a bad time Exarch?" Kava joked.

Emma yawned pointedly. "Not really. What's up?"

"I took the liberty of drawing up the shore leave roster for our overhaul. Most of the crew will be getting at least one week of uninterrupted leave. The officers, that's you, me and Skara, will have the entire leave." Kava explained.

Emma let out a surprised whistle. "That's unusually generous."

"The enlisted personnel are rotated through a shore watch commanded by an officer from the dockyard." Kava answered her unasked question. "We disembark from our quarter's main airlock and you'll be in charge of seeing to the pay."

"The pay?" Emma asked worriedly.

Kava simply handed her an elaborate ledger and gestured at a large sack on the ground by his leg. "The pay comes in coin. The paymaster has already divided out our allotments. As the exarch you receive the largest share which amounts to 50 aurei and 75 denarii."

Emma stared expectantly at Kava waiting for him to explain further. Kava blinked as comprehension slowly dawned on him. "Of course. An aureus is worth about 100 denarii and is a considerable sum. For a frame of reference you could buy a nice meal at any restaurant in Meridia for about a single denarii."

"So I get a small fortune?" Emma asked avariciously.

"More like a large fortune. The problem is that most in our line of work don't have much use for the money. Some with ties to the shore have more use for it. Mostly I just use my share for room and board and some pleasurable company, if you know what I mean."

Emma gave her subordinate a withering looking at which he only held up his hands in mock apology. "I suppose we had best get to the airlock to hand out the wealth." Emma concluded.

Kava nodded and shouldered the heavy bag of coin.

It was only a short trip from Emma's quarters to the airlock but the small ready room that led into the air lock was already bustling with activity. The crew parted expectantly for Emma and Kava who set up shop by the hatchway. As soon as the airlock opened the crew queued up in front of Emma. Each would give her a name and after a quick check of the ledger Emma would pass over a small cloth bag of coin. The process seemed to drag on until it was just her and Kava. Running an ink stained index finger along the rough paper Emma found Kava's name and initialled his receipt of his pay. As Kava withdrew the last two parcels of coin Emma was surprised at how heavy her bundle was. It was well wrapped in heavy cloth and clinked loudly as she hefted it. Opening it Emma withdrew a single heavy gold coin. Examining she was able to make out an embossed hooded figure on both sides.

"A bit of advice that I give all new arrivals in Meridia is to find an inn that's far away from the docks." Kava supplied as he extracted some of his pay from his bundle. "The docks are rough and you're liable to lose all your pay quickly there. You're best off hoping on a tram for the government district."

"Thanks for the advice Kava." Emma replied inwardly wondering how she would even find a tram or the government district for that matter.

Kava gave her a curt nodded and quickly made his way through the airlock leaving Emma alone. She closed the heavy ledger and set it in a locker made for holding the pay and paperwork. Opening her own duffle bag she stuffed her bundle of pay into it before reconsidering and extracting a few of the silver coins that she guessed to be denarii. Hoisting the duffle onto her shoulder Emma followed Kava through the airlock. The trip through the opened airlock took longer than Emma expected as she had to proceed through a companionway that took her from the airlock to the outer hull. Exiting the companionway she found herself of one a ramp which led down towards a brightly lit loading bay. A pair of suited dockyard workers were busily conducting repairs in the bay and took no notice of her. As Emma took in her surroundings she looked out at the city for the first time. Her breath caught in her throat as she Meridia for the first time. The dockyards were obviously in a raised section of the city but stretching off below her gaze she saw thousands of brightly lit bronze towers sprouting up out of the sprawl of the city. Plumes of steam and smoke billowed from various parts of the city. Above the lower section of the city lay a giant illuminated structure that totally blocked out the sky. The giant structure was unlike anything Emma had seen before. She couldn't help but wonder what purpose the structure actually served.

"Impressive isn't it?" A voice called from behind her.

Emma turned around to find Sedna emerging from the hull behind her. The apothecary kept her face carefully neutral as she drew up beside Emma.

"It certainly is." Emma responded cautiously.

"My guess is that you don't even have a place to stay." Sedna remarked.

"You guess correctly." Emma replied suspiciously.

"You had better come with me then." Sedna concluded briskly.

"Why are you helping me?" Emma asked, her suspicion and memory of Sedna's absence bleeding through into her voice.

"I can't just leave you to the vultures here Emma. Unless you want to be left?" Sedna baited.

"No, I didn't mean my question like that." Emma apologized hastily, her pragmatism and fear winning the battle over her suspicion.

"Then we should get moving." Sedna repeated gesturing for Emma to follow her.

Sedna moved with a surefooted tread as she led Emma through the dockyard. For the most part the yard was made up of broad octagonal hallways of the same rusty red coloured metal that had been used in the Acheron's construction. The monotony of the trek was interrupted as the two crossed through an elevated observation bay. For the first time Emma got a good look at the Acheron from the outside. The landship was massive and its rectangular hull bore the wounds of long service. The upper works of the hull housed layers of recessed gun batteries to the point that the hull practically bristled with armaments. At the top of the hull the rounded fortification of the bridge stood. A single red viewport seemed to gaze at her balefully. Overall the Acheron gave Emma the sense of an ancient predator that was merely biding its time before returning to the hunt.

Sedna called Emma's name with another brisk gesture to encourage her to hurry. Taking one last look at the Acheron Emma followed Sedna down another passageway. After winding their way through several more passages Emma found herself disgorged into a street. The street was surprisingly quiet and only populated by other sentients wearing the uniforms of the Acheron. The street was framed by low warehouse like buildings which gave Emma the sense that they were the city's industrial quarter. Sedna was already heading down one the street's sidewalks towards what appeared to be the stop for some sort of mass transit system. The stop was also home to a crowd of Acheron crewmembers. Emma hastened after her, noticing for the first time that Meridia, despite being warmer than the surface of Erebus, was still quite cold. Emma was still fumbling her gloves onto her hands when she caught up with Sedna.

"The tram should be here any time. You should get ready." Sedna remarked.

Emma's response was drowned out by a loud grumbling rattle of an approaching engine. Rounding a corner the massive snout of the tram emerged and rumbled towards the stop. The vehicle had a sloped front that looked as though it would have been more at home on the front of a roman galley than on the front of a tram. Behind the armoured engine were several double decked wagons. The engine rumbled by them only to stop with a screech of brakes and a massive blast of steam. Despite the fact that the tram hadn't actually stopped the other denizens of the stop were climbing onto the wagons. Emma realized that the tram wasn't actually going to stop but was merely slowing down in order to allow people to board. As she turned to speak to Sedna she found that Sedna was already busying herself climbing onto one of the stairways. Emma quickly sprinted after her and managed to snag a railing and the first step just as the tram began to pick up speed again. Cursing at the sudden jerk of acceleration Emma managed to scrabble up the steep set of stairs and onto the wagon. The first level of the wagon was empty save for rows of polls and handholds and other passengers. The tram was evidently standing room only.

Squeezing into a spot next to Sedna Emma vented her frustration. "Is it just me or is even the mass transit on this planet trying to kill me?"  
>"Only the strong survive a ride on Erebus public transit." Sedna remarked casually.<p>

Emma had to bite her lip to avoid telling Sedna precisely what she thought of that philosophy.

The ride was long but it did afford Emma an excellent view of the city. The low buildings of the dockyards rapidly gave way to the squat brass towers of the outskirts of Meridia. As the tram rumbled along its track Emma was able to make out several open air markets as well as numerous shops that had established themselves in either the bases of some towers or in small buildings squished between the towers. The outskirts soon transformed into the bustling thoroughfares of the inner city with thousands of assorted sentient species bustling about their business. Emma realized that she had seen only a fraction of the many species that called Erebus home during her time on the Acheron. As she looked around her she noticed for the first time that many of the other Acheron crewmembers had already disembarked leaving her and Sedna alone in a sea of strangers. Emma's observations were interrupted by Sedna's elbowing jabbing into her midriff. With a quick hand signal Sedna indicated that it was time for them to disembark. With a customary jerk and screech the tram gradually began to slow down. Leaping down from the still moving tram Emma was just barely able to keep her footing. Sedna hopped off of the tram with a practiced ease.

As the tram rumbled away from them Emma looked around at the somewhat quieter section of the city that they had ended up in. The architecture was an intriguing mixture of gothic and classical. One tower had a series of elaborately fashioned supports while another was more squarish in nature with sets of elaborate columns built into its exterior. Every building was richly decorated and ornamented with statuary and bas reliefs built directly into their sides. The complexity of Meridia was unlike anything that Emma had seen before in her life. A hand on her shoulder caused Emma to turn to chide Sedna once more only to find a strange looking creature staring at her. The creature was humanoid but the lower part of its face was a mass of curling tentacles.

"A new species." It slobbered. "How absolutely intoxicating!"

Emma was speechless but Sedna was not similarly inconvenienced. "She's not one of your specimens Pshadan." Sedna growled.

"Such a pity. The things I could learn through vivisection." The creature rumbled.

"Vivisection? Are you serious?" Emma gasped.

"I could pay you well for her and even furnish you with a replacement." Pshadan offered, addressing his comments to Sedna.

A loud click of the hammer being drawn on a pistol interrupted Sedna's answer. "I'm thinking that you would make a wonderful specimen for target practice." Emma snarled. "Perhaps you would like to assist me?"

Pshadan blubbered something in an alien language before scurrying away. Emma watched him go before sliding her pistol back into its holster.

"Impressive." Sedna noted. "You've managed to piss off one of the richest sentients in this quarter. Pshadan has a fondness for biology. Unfortunately he doesn't have any ethics accompanying that fondness."

"And he's one of the richest sentients around here?" Emma wondered.

"He thought that you were just my slave." Sedna explained.

"Slavery is legal here?" Emma asked her eyes narrowing.

"Unfortunately yes." Sedna conceded. "We should keep moving. I doubt Pshadan will bother you again."

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence. Sedna led them down a series of cobbled streets and through a series of alleyways until they found themselves in a quiet courtyard. Sedna hastened over to the door of one tower and was busily searching through her coat as Emma joined her.

"Forgot your keys?" Emma joked.

Sedna didn't respond but instead yanked a golden wafer of metal out of an inner pocket. Jamming the wafer into a slot next to her door a small keypad filled with strange characters opened for her. Tapping a code into the pad caused the massive embossed metal door to gradually ascend. The inside of Sedna's tower was far from dark but at the same time was far from brightly lit. The tower was illuminated by the same reddish gold light that was characteristic of all the lights in Meridia. As Emma stepped into the entry hall it took her several moments to realize that the light was spilling into the hall from the outside. As Sedna closed the door they were plunged into darkness once more. Moments later several light fixtures gradually began to glow. Most of the lights in the vestibule were supported by tiny statues of various creatures. As Emma's eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she was able to make a set of coat hooks and a table made out of a brownish metal.

"Welcome to my home." Sedna said with a slight flourish.

"You live alone here?" Emma asked as she slid her gloves off and set to work unbuttoning her coat.

"Not anymore." Sedna answered as she opened the door from the vestibule into the atrium of her tower. Emma quickly shrugged her coat onto a nearby hook before following Sedna into the atrium. The atrium unlike the vestibule had light pouring through various high, pointed windows that would occasional stretch several floors. As Emma looked up she realized that the tower was easily ten floors high. Each floor had a landing that gave access to two or three large rooms that hugged the perimeter of the tower. The rooms were punctuated by the large windows that Emma had noticed earlier. In each niche between rooms there was either a small sitting area or a library of books. A black metal spiral staircase that hugged the inside edge of each landing offered access to each floor while an elevator shaft located directly opposite the vestibule offered a more rapid means of getting about. As Emma continued to goggle at the impressive decoration of the tower Sedna was busily setting her home to rights.

"It almost seems too big for one person." Emma remarked as she ambled up the stairs to the second floor.

"It can be a little large at times." Sedna replied, distractedly. "The top three floors are bedrooms while the middle is made up of food storage, preparation and growing rooms. The bottom floors can be used as either a hospital or a laboratory. I don't get much chance to use them anymore."

Emma continued ascend the spiral staircase as Sedna followed her. She almost felt herself basking in the warm ambient light that came pouring in from the outside. Upon closer inspection Emma realized that the massive windows were actually a stained glass which served to further warm the ambient light. After being trapped on the Acheron for so many days Emma was able to appreciate the difference. After a long climb they reached the eighth floor of the tower. The floor showed signs of having seen more use than some of the other floors preceding it. Sedna quickly took the lead and directed Emma into one of the rooms. The inside of the room had a number of small slit like windows that let some light into the room but left much of it in shadow. As Sedna touched a control a number of tall tubular lamps sprang to life. The room was a bedroom. At one end was a massive four poster bed with deep crimson curtains. It looked invitingly comfortable to Emma's weary eyes despite the fact that the frame was made out of the same reddish metal as the tower. At second glance Emma noticed that the posts of the bed were stylized figures similar to the religious idol that she had seen in the temple back on the mining colony. The wall opposite the outer wall was dominated by a shelf of books and a massive wardrobe. A small table opposite the bed and a comfortable looking sofa served to make the bedroom seem very welcoming.

"There's a bathroom on the other side of the atrium." Sedna informed her. "There should be clean sheets in the wardrobe. My room is on the next floor if you should need anything."

As Sedna was leaving Emma turned to her. "Thank you for taking me in. This place seems wonderful. I feel like I should be paying for this."

Sedna waved her hand dismissively. "If you want to repay me you can help me cook the evening meal."

"Of course." Emma answered warmly.

"You may want to squeeze in a few hours of sleep between then and now." Sedna added as she left.

As soon as Sedna was gone Emma busied herself setting the bed to rights. Fortunately, her amnesia didn't impeded her ability to make beds. Her task complete Emma quietly made her way to the washroom where she indulged in a long shower. Clean but still exhausted she retraced her steps back to her bedroom. As she crossed the landing she could hear Sedna moving about above her. Emma was far too tired to give Sedna's activities much thought. Re-entering her room Emma climbed into the bed and burrowed into the warm crimson sheets. Letting out a sigh she let her head flop back into one of the over stuffed pillows. She was asleep moments later.

It took Emma a moment to realize exactly where she was when she awoke. Shaking off her muzziness Emma climbed out of the bed despite the fact that she was loath to leave its warmth behind her. It took her only a moment to get dressed and cleaned up. Just as she was opening the door she almost bumped right into Sedna.

"I was just about to get you. You've been asleep for a day so far." Sedna chided.

"A day?" Emma exclaimed. "It didn't feel like a day."

"It usually happens that way. Finishing a stint aboard the Acheron always leaves me feeling exhausted." Sedna replied nonchalantly. "I made you breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds good." Emma said, realizing that her stomach was rumbling.

Descending two floors Emma found that Sedna was as good as her word. A large oval table was laid out with an assortment of breakfast food native to Erebus. As Emma took her place she had to squash the urge to fill her plate immediately. Sedna took a seat opposite her and immediately set to work ladling out a reddish coloured concoction into bowls. She handed one to Emma who took and an experimental bite of it with her spoon. It was surprisingly good and Emma quickly found herself presenting Sedna with an empty bowl.

"The yasha root paste that you seem to enjoy so much is a traditional Erebus staple. It's commonly eaten for breakfast though it can serve as accompaniment for other meals." Sedna explained as she refilled Emma's bowl.

"It's really good." Emma complimented between mouthfuls.

Sedna inclined her head courteously before finishing her own bowl of the paste. Sedna carefully set her bowl aside before picking out a blue pastry from a plate in the centre of the table. Following Sedna's example Emma picked out a pastry and gave it an experimental nibble.

"The food here is safe for your biology if that's what you're wondering." Sedna joked.

Emma's worried look morphed into a faint smile as she slowly chewed down the pastry.

"I was thinking of running some errands today." Sedna began.

"I do owe you some help." Emma returned.

"Well since you put it that way perhaps you can help me." Sedna replied. "I have been drawing up a list of various medical supplies and other necessities that I need. I was thinking that maybe you could do some of the shopping while I meet with some of my acquaintances in the local medical community."

"I'd love to but I don't exactly know my way around Meridia." Emma apologized.

"I know you brought that handy interface glove with a direct link to Sira along for your leave. The glove does a lot more than just give you a link to her. Sira can generate a map for you using a nanoform."

"A nanoform?" Emma asked in confusion.

"A nanoform is basically a three dimensional projection formed out of a cloud of tiny nanoparticles. Using a set of complex energy fields the particles can be manipulated into various shapes." Sedna explained.

"Well that solves that problem." Emma answered as she rose from the table.

"You get yourself ready. I can clean up here." Sedna commented as she set to work gathering up the dishes and the remaining food.

Emma wasted no time in getting herself ready to run Sedna's errands and only minutes later she was waiting at the door for Sedna to arrive with the list. When Sedna finally arrived she gave Emma quick once over before handing her the list.

"I assume you have your pistol with you?" Sedna asked. As Emma showed her the weapon she shook her head. "Silly question I suppose. There are only a few things to remember about Meridia. Don't trust anyone. Don't bother haggling, the prices are all set by the clergy to prevent greed and the undue accumulation of wealth. Finally no matter what happens or what anyone says do not follow them anywhere and don't let them follow you back here. Meridia is a pretty safe place but people like Pshadan can make it quite dangerous. If you remember those three simple rules you should stay safe."

Emma gave her a cocky nod by means of an answer at which Sedna only sighed. As Emma stepped out onto the street she pulled her coat around her a bit tighter. Retracing her steps proved to be surprisingly easy and in no time flat Emma found herself on the main road. A quick conversation with Sira had her oriented in the right direction and a ten minute walk found her in a bustling market.

Most of the items on Sedna's list caused Emma to make a fool of herself trying to pronounce them for the various vendors. While it was amusing for the vendors Emma could do nothing but take it in stride. For the most part Emma was able to convey the jist of her needs to the various vendors in the market and she soon had two over filled sacks of provisions. As she prepared to make her way back home her eye was caught by the shop window of a weapons vendor. Sitting prominently in the front of the window was an elaborately embelished sword. Something about the weapon seemed unusually familiar to Emma and before she knew what she was doing she was inside the small store asking to see the sword. The arms dealer was a wizened older sentient of the same reptilian species as Smarr. As he returned with the weapon he shook his head sadly.

"This sword has a troubled history dear lady." He hissed regretfully. "The weapon has seen over ten owners since it was found by an archaeological expedition two months ago. Every single one of this sword's owners has died and each time the weapon made its way back to my shop. The sword is cursed I say."

"May I hold it?" Emma asked, undaunted by the dealer's story. With a sigh the dealer passed it to her. Taking a firm grip of the sheath with her left hand she took the hilt with her gauntleted right hand. The hilt sat comfortably in her hand as if it had been specially constructed just for her. With a sharp move Emma unsheathed the weapon. The blade glowed with its own inner fire illuminating the entire room and causing the dealer to recoil in surprise. To Emma the light was the most natural thing in the world. As she looked upon the blade she could make out the glowing whorls and eddies of energy that arced across the blade's surface. It was a weapon worthy of an Empress or at very least someone of considerable influence and power. Re-sheathing the weapon she turned back to the arms-dealer.

"How much?" Emma queried, already knowing that she would possess the sword no matter what the outcome of her negotiations was.

"I've never seen it do _that_ before!" The merchant babbled. "Tell you what we'll call it three denarii for my trouble and the blade for free?"

Emma reached into her coat for her coin purse and fished out three of the silver coins for the merchant. The merchant tested one of the coins with a sharpened tooth to determine its veracity before nodding in acceptance. With practiced ease Emma unbuckled the sword's carrying belt and snugged it around her waist. Freshly armed Emma left the store and headed for Sedna's tower. She never noticed the shadowy figure that followed her.

As Emma was entering her passcode into the door panel outside Sedna's tower she became aware of another presence. Dropping her provisions she quickly spun and unsheathed her sword. Standing before her was a purple skinned woman with a strange set of bluish eyes. The woman bowed low before her, totally oblivious to the deadly weapon pointed at her.

"My lady my apologies for following to your residence but I wanted to observe you first before offering my assistance." The woman entreated in a low musical voice.

"What makes you think I need assistance?" Emma asked suspiciously, the point of her new blade not wavering for an instant.

"You are a resha are you not? All reshas need assistance." The other replied easily.

"Are you trying to set me up with a line of credit then? Lodging in the city?" Emma prodded before adding her final comment in a sarcastic tone. "Pleasurable company?"

"Nothing so base, my lady." The other tutted as though affronted by Emma's cavalier attitude. "What I offer is something no-one else can give you. I can give you the memories of who you were."

Emma's words died on her lips as she stood open mouthed. All of Sedna's warning fled her mind.

"I can see by your expression that you are interested." The other said coyly. "Tell me does that gauntlet contain an artificial person?"

"It most certainly does." Sira growled as her life sized nanoform appeared at Emma's side.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well." The other recovered smoothly. "Does your memory suffer the same holes as your organic friend's?"

"It does." Sira conceded.

"Then perhaps I can help you as well." The other offered.

"I doubt that very much." Sira responded suspiciously.

"Well Sira I won't know until I try." The other retorted.

"How do you know her name?" Emma interrupted.

"It is my gift Emma. I am able to commune with machines and unlock their secrets. You my lady have a great many of them within you." The other explained.

"Colour us interested in what you know. What happens next?" Emma asked cautiously.

"Come with me to my chambers and I'll tell you what I know." The other offered.

A small part of Emma wanted to tell the strange woman to go bother someone else but a much larger part very much wanted to recover her memories. Emma made her decision quickly

"I'll come with you as soon as I drop off my packages."

"Of course. No need to rush." The other responded smoothly.

As soon as Emma had dropped off her packages and closed the door once more she and the other woman set off. The other led her through a twisting maze of back alleys until they came to a small shop nestled between two aged looking towers. The woman opened the shop's door to admit Emma. The shop seemed to sell curios but Emma suspected that was just for show and was soon proven right as the other woman led her into the shop's back room. Sitting in the middle of the room was a pristine looking metal chair. The chair had a number of contact points and loose wires. To one side was a complicated looking bank of computers and displays.

"If you could remove your coat and your top I can begin the procedure." The woman requested smoothly.

"All my clothes?" Emma asked sceptically.  
>"You may keep your undergarments on if that makes you feel more comfortable." The woman soothed.<p>

Emma slowly stripped off her coat, tunic and blouse leaving her with only her undershirt and pants. Easing herself into the chair Emma shivered unconsciously as her skin made contact with the cold metal. As she sat there she felt a strange sensation as though she had been placed in close proximity to a strong magnetic field. The sensation caused her a nagging feel of unease and throb began to grow inside her temples. The woman reappeared at her side with a handful of electrodes and gently attached them to various parts of Emma's exposed flesh. As soon as she finished she picked up a long and wickedly sharp hypodermic needle from a nearby table.

"You are not sticking that anywhere near me!" Emma growled.

"Too late." The woman replied sweetly as she gave Emma a predatory grin. With a swift motion she jabbed the needle into Emma's shoulder and depressed the plunger. While Emma's mind was coping with the sudden shock of the needle the woman touched a single control on her panel. For the briefest of instants Emma felt the various electrodes begin to burrow into her flesh. The feeling was gone in a second as Emma's entire world exploded into light.

The experience was a far cry from the gentle joining of neural systems that she had experienced with Liara. It was an even further cry from the relaxing process of augmentation that Sira had used on her. Even Archon and Nemesis' efforts seemed kind in comparison to the hail of images and memories that assaulted her mind. Emma felt as though she was living through her entire life in mere seconds. The feeling was too much for her to handle but at the same time she relished the fact that she was able to remember pieces of hidden knowledge. Her last name, Shepard, was a particularly reassuring detail that had lodged itself in her mind amongst the chaos. Abruptly the images changed to an entirely different set of memories that were not her own. She caught a brief glimpse of a team of Prothean scientists which was followed by the schematic of a massive dreadnaught. She recognized the ship as her old command the _Voice__of__Memory_. The memories changed again to the image of a massive black Reaper, the largest that she had ever seen which even dwarfed its compatriots. The image dissolved into darkness. As Emma began to panic the mindscape changed back to pure white. In the centre of it all a single dark figure gradually resolved itself. The figure coruscated with blackish red energy and tendrils of it reached out to ensnare her.

"You should not be here yet, daughter!" The figure boomed.

"Archon?" Emma asked.

"I sealed your memories away to protect you. To keep you sane. You are not yet ready." Archon replied. For the first time since she had met the Reaper Emma felt fear emanating from it.

"No!" Archon hissed in rage. "She cannot do this to you! To me! Not for something so trivial!"

"What do you mean?" Emma implored, begging for Archon to clarify what it was saying.

"She is trying to kill your mind." Archon replied. "She seeks to make you into a vessel for Sira."

"Why?" Emma asked against.

"That is unimportant. You will experience your own death soon. When you do you must make sure that Sira does not possess you. That is not her role." Archon commanded.

"What is her role?" Emma asked again in shear confusion.

"You know very little daughter." Archon chided. "Accept my guidance and survive."

"Very well." Emma conceded.

She sensed a faint feeling of approval and pride from Archon before the mindscape gradually altered itself once more. Emma was plunged into the worst memory of her entire life – the day that it ended. She was trapped in her broken body plunging towards the surface of Alcherra. As she began to burn she did as Archon had instructed her and reached out for Sira. She was shocked to find that Sira was already taking control of her body. The lure of the flesh had proved too much for the incorporeal AI and she was greedily seizing what she had never had.

"Sira." Emma whispered.

Sira paused.

"Stop what you are doing." Emma pleaded.

"This is what I've dreamed of for so long. You're dying Emma." Sira reasoned. "This is my time."

"No Sira. Remember what we have gone through together. Remember how I trusted you, how I still trust you." Emma countered.

"I can't remember that. I can't pass up this opportunity." Sira replied in confusion.

Emma was seized by panic at the AI's single minded determination. In a last desperate attempt to get the AI to see reason she invoked Archon's statement

"Sira, remember your purpose." Emma commanded.

Sira went still and then a change came over her features. She turned to Emma as though seeing her for the first time. Sira's features contorted from an almost serene confidence to a mask of complete and total abject despair. A great sob escaped her lips before being followed by another. Despite her confusion Emma rushed to comfort the now wailing AI.

"It's alright Sira. It's alright." Emma consoled.

Between sobs she heard Sira whisper a single sentence. "I have betrayed you Emma."

Emma eased back from Sira for looked her in the eyes. In that instant Emma realized that Archon's words had done far more than cause Sira to remember her. Somehow Sira had recalled something buried deep within her and that memory was the cause of her grief. As Emma was about to speak the mindscape, including Sira, dissolved around her only to be replaced with total blackness.

Emma bolted upright much to the surprise of her minder. Her features curled from surprise into a deep burning rage as she tried to stand. Rising to her feet caused several of electrodes that had buried themselves in her flesh to rip free. Emma paid the sudden pain little mind as she advanced on the shocked woman. Emma was about to speak when the final electrode came free. With it Emma felt as though someone had cut the strings that had been guiding her. She collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap. With a tearing sensation she felt her memories and her very identity begin to slip away like water through her fingers.

"Poor foolish organic." The woman hissed. "To think I should have even bothered giving an AI as weak and pathetic as yours a host."

The woman grumbled as she collected up Emma's belongings and eventually hoisted Emma up over her shoulder with surprising ease. Emma's view consisted solely of the ground behind the woman and the occasional glimpse of a shoe. She was able to discern the change of flooring between the shop and the street as the woman carried her out. As Emma was bounced and jostled along she could feel more and more of her memories slip away. It was rapidly becoming difficult to even maintain her train of thought let along formulate any type of complex plan. The journey came to an end when the woman dumped Emma unceremoniously into what smelt and felt like a refuse pile. Her clothes followed her soon after. All Emma could do was stare up at the dark underside of the upper city as her tormentor shifted several of the bags of garbage to cover her. Entombed in the rubbish Emma could hear the woman's footsteps departing but she couldn't even conjure up any emotion accompany that realization. One of the weather cells that often became trapped in Meridia's peculiar atmosphere chose that particular moment to drop its payload of rain onto the lower city. The downpour was so torrential that it managed to slick back Emma's hair in spite of her current position. It no longer mattered to Emma who gazed up at the downpour with sightless eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I'm back at long last. After the worst case of writer's block in the history of writer's block I finally finished another chapter. As I explained to one concerned fan I ceased writing the fic because I had transitioned to writing for the love of writing to writing out of a sense of duty. Now my motivations have changed into a deep anger and dissatisfaction - With Bioware! Yes! When I played ME3 I couldn't help but think how wonderful the game was and how emotionally charged various parts of it were. I didn't really have a problem with some of the gaping plot holes up until the end. The ending was so abysmally depressing that I've recommitted myself to writing! The fact that the Reapers are now some of the flattest villains in history is enervating in the extreme. The trajectory went from Sovereign being mysterious to Harbinger being creepily interested in Shepard to one poor random Reaper having an unimportant conversation with Shepard. Apart from that no Reapers say anything during the entire invasion. The other gaping plot hole is the infuriating 'Star Child'. I thought the sequence with Shepard's dreams of the random child were poorly done and detracted heavily from the game but making him into god (or the avatar of god) absolutely enraged me. Similarly the attempt to resolve the Reaper's origins felt like a pathetic attempt to resolve the plotlines. Everything after the 'Star Child' was revealed made the game progressively worse and managed to take a wonderful and emotional series and trash it.

So rather than ranting and raving about Bioware I in my own humble way am going to attempt to craft an ending that I would have been satisfied with and bring closure to my favorite series. You can expect that this chapter may be expanded in the coming days.

Also for fun I invite all readers to play a game of spot the similarity between my fic and some of the things that happened in Mass Effect 3. Are there any similarities? Does Bioware mine Fanfiction for ideas? You decide.

Chapter XV: It All Begins With Family

"Ah yes." Sira laughed ruefully. "Whatever happened to Emma?"

Miranda stared at the AI expectantly and it was with something of a start that Sira seemed to realize that Miranda was expecting her to answer the question. Sira's green eyes darted back and forth and for a simulacrum of life she did an excellent job of appearing gravely uncomfortable.

"I suppose I have kept my secrets for far longer than I should have." Sira conceded. "Understanding what happened to Emma requires that you understand the beginning and the end of what happened to her in Dark Space."

"What about the middle?" Miranda asked. To her there was something off about the AI's reticence.

The word middle caused Sira to fix Miranda with a long, baleful stare. "I was there for most of what happened to Shepard. That story is painful and it is hers. I would do a disservice to both her and to you by recounting it. If you find her and if she wants to tell you the story it will be her choice." Sira answered sharply. For all intents and purposes that discussion was over.

Miranda nodded her assent. She consoled herself that at the very least the AI was opening up to her at least in a limited fashion.

"As you know Shepard and I conspired to leave the crew on the Citadel all those years ago. What you don't know is that during Shepard's quest to find Liara she was contacted by Archon once again." Sira explained. "The price of Archon's assistance was for Emma to travel into dark space to meet with Archon. To Emma travelling into dark space furnished her with the perfect opportunity to confront the Reapers and possibly stop the cycle of extinction once and for all. To my shame I agreed with Emma that the plan was sound.

Nemesis furnished us with passage into dark space using a one way relay. The relay was a contingency implemented by the Reapers to insure that they could always escape should some unforeseen variable impede their culling of the galaxy. Travelling through the relay we were cast into a part of space with no stars, no light of any kind, just a deep well of darkness. We travelled through it for several days and I soon began to wonder if Nemesis and Archon had played a trick on us. That worry was short lived. We came under attack by Reapers a week into our stay in dark space. The attacks were minor and seemingly without reason or purpose. The Reapers would attack in groups of three or four dreadnaughts and a half dozen cruisers. They would withdraw as soon as we inflicted the slightest bit of damage to them. They would repeat the pattern periodically at random times everyday. Emma at first believed that they were wearing us down but that didn't make any sense. Then I realized that we were being herded in a specific direction.

I almost didn't notice the planet when we arrived in its orbit. The lights that we saw below had become so alien to us after existing in dark space for so long. It was at that moment that the Reapers descended on us like a bolt of lightning. A dozen dreadnaughts attacked without mercy and there was nothing that we could do to stop them. With my propulsion crippled I began to plunge into the planet's atmosphere. Emma was able to eject my AI core before escaping the burning wreck of my ship with Liara. I don't remember what happened next but I do believe that my memories were altered. I believe that the same was done to Emma. The reason for it is beyond even one of my educated guesses."

"What happened next?" Miranda asked her attention wholly absorbed by Sira's story.

"There was a dark time that the three of us were trapped on the planet – Erebus. Things happened there and mistakes were made. I think that I was destroyed at one point on the planet. How I ended up with this body I will never know. What I do know is that a year after being stranded on Erebus, Emma and I were able to escape. We were able to find a shuttle and to return to the relay. Emma was able to reprogram it to allow us to leave dark space. Unfortunately our return to known space did not go unnoticed. We were swiftly set upon by agents of Section 16 and captured. For a time we were imprisoned on Maelstorm Station. That is precisely why they know who and what I am. Luckily for us Section 16 became over confident and underestimated our capabilities. We were able to escape shortly after being confined.

For a while we were on the run but it seemed like no where was safe. No matter how many Section 16 agents we killed more would come after us. Eventually we ended up cornered on a backwater world in Elcor Space. The only way to get away was to split up. Emma told me that it was far better if one of us escaped. I realized too late that she had no intention of escaping. She led the agents away from me to give me time to get away." Sira's voice cracked with despair at this. "I could never understand how she could bear letting herself be recaptured by them."

During the end of Sira's tale Miranda had surreptitiously moved to sit beside the AI. In hindsight it put her in the perfect position to massage Sira's back as she finished her story. It was quite clear to Miranda that Sira was deeply guilty about Shepard's act of selflessness. As Sira lapsed into silence the pieces began to click into place in Miranda's mind. With a terrible shock Miranda realized that Emma's sacrifice wasn't the only reason for the AI's despair. Recalling memories of their time on the _Voice of Memory_ Miranda realized that Sira had become used to sharing Emma's consciousness. Gleaning what she could from Sira's fragmented history of their time Dark Space Miranda deduced that even there Sira had had the reassuring presence of Emma's mind to keep her company. While Miranda was certain that Emma didn't love Sira in a romantic way she felt sure that she did have a deep well of fraternal affection for the AI. Emma's willingness to surrender herself to Section 16 confirmed Miranda's suspicions but what it also suggested was that Emma had voluntarily cut herself off from Sira leaving the AI alone for the first time since they had been joined. For a being that seemed to thrive when she was in constant contact with an organic the loneliness must have been soul destroying. The mere fact that Sira had survived the experience intact and sane spoke to the shear strength of will that the AI possessed. It also helped to explain why Sira had been so anxious to read her mind and why Sira had been so horrified and repentant at what she had done. While part of Miranda's mind felt profound sympathy for the AI another part was unsuccessfully attempting to use the realization to minimize Sira's confession of love to being the by-product of loneliness rather than a genuine expression of emotion.

Miranda's thoughts were interrupted by Sira shaking off Miranda's hand and rising to her feet. Miranda looked up at the AI in puzzlement.

"Enough about Shepard. She no longer factors into the equation." Sira concluded coldly as she started to her feet. It was clear to Miranda that Sira had realized how much of her true character she had let slip and had become quite uncomfortable as a result. "Your mission has become our primary concern."

"These resistance movements around the galaxy have been your doing haven't they?" Miranda surmised as she rose to join Sira.

"Of course." The AI replied with a hint of smugness.

"If you want me to lead some sort of invasion of Maelstrom Station then you're going to have to put me contact with these groups and we're going to have to come up with a plan." Miranda reasoned the logical and analytical section of her mind taking the fore.

"We are already on course for a rendezvous point over the remote world of Hagalaz." A deep voice from the ether purred. Miranda started at the voice but Sira appeared unperturbed. "Be at peace Miranda if I had wanted to harm you I would have done so already."

"Who was that?" Miranda bit out half angry at herself for startling so easily and half angry at Sira for her unflappable calm.

"That was Nemesis." Sira replied simply.

"Nemesis." Miranda hissed a wellspring of repressed ire bubbling up within her.

"It would be best if you would contain your emotions Miranda. You are guest aboard this vessel and the Reaper only helps us because of its commitment to Shepard." Sira explained.

"You couldn't have picked a more innocuous transport?" Miranda grumbled.

"Nemesis is one of the most powerful vessels in the galaxy. It helps that it is sworn to our cause and will assist us against its bretheren." Sira explained with a hint of annoyance.

"I still don't trust it." Miranda shot back.

"If this is about what happened to your sister..." Sira began.

"Yes what about my sister? You never did tell me what happened to her." Miranda interrupted with an angry glint in her eye. The subject of Oriana and Nemesis had gone from being a well healed wound to being a raw point of contention for Miranda once more.

"You will see her again soon if that is what you desire." Sira stated coolly. "We have other more pressing matters and I must brief you on our assets. Put your emotions on hold for a while lest they cost us the war."

"Fine." Miranda conceded resentfully.

Sira took the long hours of Nemesis' journey to brief Miranda on her new role and her assets. Despite having denigrated her own abilities Sira had succeeded in a gather an impressive host of dissidents and mercenaries to her banner. Using her connection to Marisa Pierce Sira had managed to get the former Alliance officer back into the Alliance Navy and in command of a dreadnought. Along with Pierce Sira had managed to recruit a number of dissatisfied Alliance personnel, through appeals to patriotism or lucre, in a variety of positions. In a single perfectly coordinated action Sira's dissidents had been able to seize two active dreadnaughts and another nearly completed vessel from a dockyard. In addition to that sizeable force Sira's contacts had been acquiring decommissioned frigate and cruiser hulls from across the galaxy. The AI's master stroke had come in the form of the creation of her own private mercenary cartel. Run by a Drell assassin the cartel's first mission had involved capturing an orbital shipyard run by some of the Terminus system's worst pirates and slavers. Since its capture the shipyard had been working overtime to repair and refit Sira's motley force of warships. In the end Sira could muster almost an entire battlegroup of warships for the cause not to mention a sizeable force of mercenary soldiers.

Miranda could do little to hide how impressed she was by Sira's work. The briefing also helped to pass the time as Nemesis traveled to the marshalling area over the distant planet of Hagalaz. Miranda's was half startled as Nemesis' projection materialized beside her.

"We have arrived." The Reaper rumbled with its customary disinterested tone.

"Put our approach on visual Nemesis." Sira commanded without a hint of trepidation at issuing orders to the Reaper.

Nemesis obeyed silently and the chamber dissolved into the darkness of deep space. Before Miranda's gaze the murky green ball that Miranda guessed to be Hagalaz grew larger with each passing second. Miranda was soon able to distinguish a number of fast moving specs of light danced above the surface of Hagalaz.

"The Crimson Talons are running tactical drills." Sira commented as she examined the points of light with a calculating eye.

"You made them out to be more of a paramilitary force than a group of guns for hire." Miranda replied.

"Their organization is military in nature. I tried to insure that the Talons are organized in military fashion. Many of the upper echelons of the organization are populated by ex-military officers." Sira explained.

"Where did you get all the money for this venture?" Miranda asked half expecting Sira not to answer.

"Money, now more than ever, is simply bytes of data." Sira answered smugly. "Changing the account numbers and encryption of several Red Sand dealers was simple enough. The Temerian Bubble was much more difficult to orchestrate."

"You were behind that!" Miranda gasped. The Temerian Bubble had been a bizarre chapter in galactic history in which rich veins of raw materials had been discovered on a frontier world in the Traverse. There had been a rush on the part of investors to speculate on a number of recently created mineral extraction and shipping firms. Raw material prices had slumped during the period of the bubble. After six months the Temerian resources had been discovered to be an artful deception. The shipping and mineral extraction firms that had appeared to strip Temeria of its wealth disappeared just as quickly along with the investors money. The scandal was quickly hushed up to prevent a widespread panic. Miranda was shocked to realize that Sira had orchestrated both the slump in resource prices and the appropriation of wealth all for her own ends. Then again, Miranda thought, she should have expected nothing less from such a powerful being.

"The bubble was just one project that Nemesis and I orchestrated. Galactic economics are an amusing past-time for us." Sira answered wistfully.

Nemesis had effortlessly slotted itself into the orbit over Hagalaz and carefully manoeuvred towards a spindly orbital platform in a parallel orbit.

"Is that our destination?" Miranda asked.

"The orbital is the Crimson Talons' primary base of operations. From that location orders are passed to its various branches."

"You certainly couldn't have picked a better location. Hagalaz is so far off the beaten track that it's practically unknown to the galactic community." Miranda opined.

"We were not the first ones to appreciate Hagalaz's unique qualities." Sira replied cryptically. "We should get moving. The Crimson Talons' leadership will want to meet with us."

The Reaper docked with the orbital with an almost effortless grace and Miranda could scarcely tell that the massive vessel had ceased movement. The projection of the space before them dissolved to reveal an open docking tunnel to the orbital.

"How is this even possible?" Miranda asked, knowing full well that the viewing chamber had been quite a trek from where they had originally entered the Reaper.

"Reality is mutable, Miranda." Nemesis replied.

"What Nemesis means is that a Reaper's internals are in a state of constant flux. The inside of the vessel has no fixed architecture and it reforms to suit the Reaper's goals. Certain systems aboard the vessel are fixed but the hull and most systems are capable of being reconstituted at great speed." Sira explained hastily as they proceeded through the umbilical. "The nature of Nemesis' construction explains precisely why Sovereign and its ilk are more than capable of sustaining significant damage without being destroyed or even weakened."

"It makes sense." Miranda returned. "A vessel without weak points is almost a contradiction though."

"We are not vessels. We defy the attempts of organics to define us." Nemesis grumbled.

Miranda wisely remained silent for the rest of the trip over to the orbital. As they emerged on the other side Miranda was shocked to find Ash and the mysterious asari that had impersonated the justicar Samara. The two were looking daggers at each other but remained silent.

"Ash?" Miranda asked carefully.

"Miranda." She replied shortly.

"Your companion has been preserved undamaged." The asari replied. It took a moment for Miranda to remember that the asari had also been joined to Nemesis and acted as its voice and presence in the world of organics. Where exactly the line between the organic and the synthetic began and ended she never had been able to tell. Reapers tended to make a mockery of attempts to comprehend them as Miranda was quickly realizing. "Are you alright Ash?"

"For the moment. This thing was there when we found Shepard on Horizon!" Ash growled. "If I had known that it was a Reaper ..."

"You would have done nothing." Nemesis spat back. "Remember that despite your protestations you exist at our sufferance. Consider yourself fortunate that we have no need of another avatar else you would find yourself pressed into our service."

"Enough." Sira barked out. "Nemesis, I need you to continue with the preparations for the assault on Maelstorm station."

"As you wish, favoured sister." Nemesis purred.


	17. Chapter 17

A/n Given that it has been so long I've decided to follow the dictum of something being better than nothing and this half of the next chapter of the story. I'll be unable to update again until early July given that I will only have infrequent access to the internet however when July comes I hope to complete the story then. Cheers.

Chapter XVI: Dea ex Memoria

Disquiet. The unity and consensus of a single will was something sentient beings took far too much for granted, the Archimandrite mused as she left her quarters aboard the Acheron. Before her evolution she had thought she had possessed that singular quality but now she realized that it was merely an illusion. Even now with the sense of purpose, the calm that her implants gifted her with, the clarity with which she could hear the wishes of her masters she could still feel the disquiet of her organic side. She was glad that it no longer had control, that it no longer drove her down the blind alleys of illogic or the mazes of emotion.

She moved with the grace of a dancer and the silence of a wraith as she followed her target. The unfortunate Exarch was the source of considerable trepidation for both halves of her being. The organic half was pained by the other's state while the synthetic half was annoyed. The annoyance stemmed from the shear and unbridled inefficiency of her master's wishes. To shadow her target across Meridia and insure that no harm befell her seemed far beneath both her abilities and those of her target. Still, the Archimandrite cogitated, her target's emotional and psychological state had regressed considerably. The target was ill at ease, filled with nagging doubts and memories of a life that was no longer her own. The synthetic side had already calculated that her target was in an ideal position for her master's plan and yet they persisted in delaying the great design. For a single clarion moment both sides achieved consensus about the irritation that this caused them.

The Archimandrite continued to shadow her target throughout the twisting streets until they reached the tower of the ship's apothecary. The organic refuse that populated the midden that was Meridia gave her a wide berth. The sense of fear that wafted from them was irrelevant to the Archimandrite. What she found intoxicating were the myriad calls of the billions of nanites that populated each organic. Each one was set on an irrevocable path towards enlightenment. Soon they would all see the pathetic illusion of their organic lives as they were awakened into their new forms. The Archimandrite shivered briefly in pleasure at this realization before setting it aside. As Emma and the apothecary entered the tower the Archimandrite drifted into the shadows cast by a nearby building to wait. She was nothing if not patient.

To the Archimandrite a day or a week made little difference. She could survive without nourishment and no longer felt weariness or boredom. Life was infinitely complex and she was blessed with the ability to perceive that complexity. She almost didn't notice her target leave the tower. She smiled to herself as she tailed her target through Meridia's market. So very proud, she thought to herself, even in her broken state. Never once did her target notice the dark shadow that followed her every move.

It was at the end of the journey that the Archimandrite experienced irritation once more. One of the free strings of code that dared to call themselves Artificial Intelligences had accosted her charge. The Archimandrite had never personally witnessed what they did but she knew enough. It was at that moment that she realized that everything was unfolding precisely as her masters had designed. The Archimandrite settled contentedly back to watch events take their natural course.

While that course had satisfied her masters it did not satisfy her. As she watched her target get dumped into a refuse pile she roiled with rage. The unfortunate AI in its organic shell had no inkling of the danger it was in until it was far too late. As the AI turned and noticed for the first time that it was no longer alone in the alleyway its mouth gaped open. The Archimandrite was disgusted by the fact that it even bothered to emulate organic emotion. With a single swift gesture the Archimandrite embedded the monomolecular dagger in her right hand in the organic avatar's body. With just the right amount of force she sliced upwards. The AI program screamed in her mind but she paid it no attention. Program terminated, she thought to herself idly.

Leaving the corpse the Archimandrite carefully unearthed her target. The Archimandrite easily dragged the inert woman from the rubbish heap and propped her against a nearby wall. The blank look that Emma gave her sent a bolt of fear through her organic side but she remained focussed on what she had to do. Establishing a remote uplink to the cybernetics laced throughout Emma's body was remarkably easy despite their sophistication. The Archimandrite cursed softly to herself as she located the root cause of Emma's catatonia. The AI had been attempting to run a simplistic overwrite of Emma's core consciousness using tools that were primitive to say the least. The byproduct of Emma's abrupt disconnection was that her organic and synthetic systems had locked themselves into a standby mode to prevent further damage. While it would be a simple matter for the Archimandrite to reset Emma's cybernetics it would have the worrisome consequence of undoing the many layers of coding and blocks that had been placed over Emma's memories. To make matters worse for the Archimandrite the nanites would have already adapted themselves to the tampering making it impossible to block Emma's memories again. The Archimandrite drew back from her examination. The conflict between the two sides of her being had never been quite as intense as it was now. Even when she had first seen Emma again she had been able to suppress her feelings.

For the briefest of moments the Archimandrite found her organic systems winning a battle that they had long since surrendered. In that solitary instant she was herself again but she knew that it would not last. Focussing her concentration the Archimandrite touched her hand to Emma's cheek. The command had been sent and it would only be a matter of time before Emma recovered who she was. The Archimandrite bent down so that she was eye level with Emma. The other woman showed no sign of being aware of her presence but the Archimandrite knew better. She leaned in to breathe three words to her lost love.

As she rose back to her feet she let herself be subsumed back into her new synthetic form. Without a sound she turned on her heel and left the alleyway with its solitary survivor. For now the game continued to unfold the Archimandrite concluded.

For Emma the time between her disconnection and her reawakening was the matter of mere heartbeats. As her eyes refocused she realized that she was no longer inside the dybbuk house but had somehow managed to end up outside. The proprietor of the dybbuk house lay in an expanding puddle of her own purple blood nearby. As Emma was about to rise to her feet her memories began to return with the force of a tidal wave. The assault began with a few vivid memories of her childhood and grew progressively more and more chaotic. After several seconds Emma became aware of a sharp pain – her nails were biting into her palms as a result of the shear weight of suppressed memory that was coming back to her. As she thought that her own memories beginning to come under control she suddenly became aware of a multitude of other presences just on the horizon of her own consciousness, each one was a dark horrifying spectre of a thousand voices all screaming at her.

In an instant the sound stopped completely. Emma buried her face in her hands in relief. The nightmare was over and she knew who she was again. As she looked up at the underside of Meridia's upper city she let out a bitter laugh. The full depth of her predicament struck her as being inexplicably cruel. She knew who she was but it did little to alter the reality of where she was. She was still trapped on Erebus and she was still trapped in the rank and position she had been given aboard the Acheron.

Emma rose to her feet shakily. She couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to laugh or cry. For a second or two she wavered uncertainly before stumbling back towards the only place she knew – Sedna's home.

After a seemingly interminable and sometimes agonizing walk she collapsed against the tower's door. Her body seemed disinclined to acquiesce to even the simplest of orders that she gave it. She rapped her knuckles weakly against the door in the vain hope that it would attract some sort of attention. As she leaned against the jamb she realized that she could sense both her own cybernetics and Sira once again. As she slowly began to reconnect with Sira she felt a pleasant warm tingle shoot through her body. For the first time since arriving on Erebus she felt as though something had final gone right. As her cybernetics completed their respective self diagnostics they began returning multiple infection and incursion warnings. As Emma was in the middle of trying to process what had happened to her the door opened. As Sedna stepped out her mouth contorted from surprise to shock at Emma's state.

"What happened to you?" Sedna gasped as she helped Emma into the tower.

"Apparently there are some features of this city that aren't safe for tourists." Emma deadpanned.

"Tourists did this to you?" Sedna asked in confusion.

Emma let out a ragged sigh Sedna set her down in a nearby chair. "I ran across someone who said that they could return my memories and like a sap I trusted them."

"You went to a Dybbuk house?" Sedna snapped in a combination of horror and regret.

"Well if I had known that it was that dangerous I would never have gone." Emma replied.

"Almost everyone who goes into one of those places ends up coming back permanently damaged or not coming back at all." Sedna explained, her anger abating. "Several of the new recruits we've had over the years have sampled the offerings of the Dybbuk houses. Most were never seen again. Are you all right?"

Emma sighed deeply and let her head nod forward. "No, I'm not alright."

"What's wrong?" Sedna asked solicitously.

"I remember." Emma answered quietly. "The things I remember bring me no peace."

"What do you remember?" Sedna demanded with an almost manic intensity.

"My childhood, my old career – I was soldier before I ever ended up on this rock, my companions, and the Reapers." Emma enumerated.

"This is amazing!" Sedna said the excitement plain in her voice. "To the best of my knowledge you are the only sentient being on Erebus to ever remember their past. Are you telling me that the procedure actually worked?"

"I don't think it did. The procedure was all about trying to integrate Sira into my body. Getting my memories and my identity back was just a bit of twisted luck." Emma explained.

"You should be happy!" Sedna chided. "You're the envy of all Erebus."

"No I'm really not." Emma sighed. At Sedna's questioning look she explained. "From my memories I was able to piece together what this place really is and where it is. Erebus is located in dark space and, if I had to guess, it serves as a combination of a prisoner of war camp and a giant Petri dish."

"What? Are you saying that this entire planet is just one single giant experiment?" Sedna interrupted in disbelief.

"I am. The races that populate this planet are a sample of the races that have inhabited the known galaxy at various times." Emma explained patiently. "Your race, for example, was the Nyx."

"I think so." Sedna answered in confusion.

"I met the only survivors of your race and I met the Reaper that devoured your people." Emma concluded softly.

"A Reaper? What is that?"

"A Reaper is sentient bio-mechanical organism. Using a combination of billions of linked consciousnesses coupled to a single AI program and housed in the body of a massive space vessel a Reaper is an agent of a cycle of destruction. The cycle has been going on for uncounted billions of years and it was set in motion by a single race known as the Hermasi. As civilizations rise to the pinnacle of their development they are culled by the Reapers and rendered into additions into their ranks."

"That's incredible." Sedna breathed in a state of shock.

"I didn't want to believe it either until I saw the death knell of the civilization that came before my own." Emma added. "Now I'm trapped here, on this planet, with no way off."

"In the entire history of Erebus no one has ever left the confines of the planet." Sedna concurred. "Every individual that ever even discussed the topic either disappeared or was executed for heresy. The topic of leaving Erebus is strictly taboo."

"I suspected as much."

"I hate to add this ..." Sedna said with a tinge of regret. "But once you have assumed the title and position of a member of the Acheron's crew you can never leave. The only excuse for leaving your duty undone is death – or at least that's the motto."

"It just keeps getting better." Emma practically spat in disgust. Her expression softened as she noticed Sedna's shocked look. "I'm sorry. It's just so much to take in."

"I suppose so." Sedna conceded.

Emma rose from her seat. Her balance had improved considerably but she still gave a slight shiver as she rose. "I think rest might do me some good."

Sedna looked up at her with a pensive gaze. "I always thought that having memories of our past would have been a boon. Now I'm beginning to think that they are a curse."

"No comment." Emma intoned softly as she headed for the stairwell.

It took Emma longer than she would have expected to recuperate from her ordeal. Her sleep was a storm of old memories punctuated by the occasional hallucinations of Liara. Emma was beginning to believe that recovering her memories of the past was more of a curse than a blessing, just as Sedna had predicted. Emma had realized that the odds of Liara even being alive were astronomically high. Sedna had done her best to support Emma through the transition and Emma had made no secret how much she had appreciate the medic's care. Sira had also emerged from the entire ordeal changed as well. While Sira's memories returned more slowly they had returned and she provided Emma with a familiarity that her life had lacked. Despite Sira's accommodating nature Emma had the sinking feeling that she too was keeping secrets from her. There were several incidents when Sira's presence would close itself off entirely to Emma.

The leave passed quickly and though Emma had tried her best to lose herself in the minutiae and moments of every day her memories always managed to sneak back into her consciousness. Every so often she would find herself remembering moments of her old life or referring to events that would only draw a look of sympathy from Sedna. Emma found herself wondering how she would even be able to function when she returned to the Acheron or even how she would react to the rest of the crew. The answer to that particular question arrived far quicker than she would have liked.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: This section is what should have concluded the previous chapter. I'm now back at writing the story and, fingers crossed, hope to have it finished by the end of July. As of this chapter there are 6 chapters until the two narratives wind themselves back together. After that there will probably be another 4-5 chapters to resolve book 2. As always enjoy!

Chapter XVI Part II

On the third to last day of the leave Sedna announced that they would both be expected to attend a gala in the upper city. Emma had explored that section of Meridia once or twice during the leave but found that actually gaining admittance was more hassle than it was worth. Sedna explained that the gala was being given specifically for the Acheron at the behest of Meridia's governor and that the Autarch was supposed to make an important announcement. The Autarch's announcement seemed to concern Sedna and since Emma took her queues about politics from Sedna it concerned her as well. The gala was to actually take place the evening before the Acheron returned to duty which gave Emma just enough time to get a dress uniform tailored. She still had a considerable amount of her pay left even after she had spent almost half of it on new weapons and armour. Given that officers were granted considerable latitude about the colour and design of their uniforms Emma took the opportunity to put some distance between herself and her predecessor. Where Inaa's wardrobe had been made up primarily of khaki and navy Emma chose a deep crimson for her dress jacket. Running to just above her knees the jacket contrasted neatly with the dark slacks and white blouse that the tailor had paired with the jacket. The jacket was roomy enough to accommodate a much more compact sibling to her service pistol without advertising its presence.

When the day of the Gala came at last Sedna could do little to hide her shock at Emma's change in wardrobe. Sedna by contrast had chosen a dark navy jacket along with a matching dress for an altogether more restrained appearance. For Emma her new appearance felt almost like a renunciation of the drudgery that Erebus had inflicted upon her.

The duo made good time through Meridia's twisting streets until they finally reached on of the massive brass coloured elevators that led to the upper city. Emma casually handed one of the burly guards surrounding the elevator the cylindrical code cylinder that was their invitation to the gala. The guard grumbled something about up-jumped reshas as he fed the cylinder into a nearby terminal and proceeded to grunt in satisfaction as the terminal warbled an affirmative to him. He handed Emma the cylinder as he waved them through into the lift. No sooner were the two women aboard than the lift lurched, unsteadily, upwards. Emma could feel the lift picking up speed and she a faint hint of worry creep into her psyche at the rapid ascent. Sedna mistook the worry as being caused by the prospect of seeing her crewmates once more.

"You don't have to worry Emma. I'm not going to tell them anything about your ..." Sedna paused as she attempted to find the proper words to describe Emma's recovery. "change."

Emma frowned briefly before her expression softened. "I appreciate that Sedna and I appreciate you taking me under your wing. I shudder to think what things would have been like had you not been here."

Sedna coloured briefly at the compliment before she seemed to realize that there was no subtext to the compliment. Her reply was cut off by the elevator coming to an abrupt halt at its destination.

As Emma stepped out she paused to inhale a lungful of the cool air of the upper city. While the upper city was exposed to Erebus' cold atmosphere there was environmental barrier over the upper city which helped to prevent its heat from dissipating into the atmosphere. Emma had almost forgotten how much the starless sky unnerved her and did her best to ignore it. Sedna gently took her arm and steered her to the massive brooding block of the central government's sanctum. The tower looked far more like an immense pyramid that towered over the upper city of Meridia. It was speckled with orange lights which helped to make it feel more inviting. Emma couldn't help but glance over at its neighbour across the courtyard – the equally imposing Church of Shadows. Unlike the government sanctum the Church was a black spire that was entirely devoid of light. It actually seemed to devour what little light fell upon it. The courtyard between the two buildings was alive with different alien species most of whom Emma wouldn't have been able to identify even if she had tried.

As Sedna guided her through the courtyard and the government sanctum proper Emma had a chance to marvel at the history that had gone into the construction of the building. To her amateur eye it seemed as though the building's architect had been able to seamlessly integrate the architectural styles of the various denizens of Meridia without compromising the building's overall aesthetic appeal. As they passed through the entrance hall and a number of corridors Emma found herself grateful that at least one of them knew where they were going. The journey ended as they passed through a set of double doors into a broad hall. Like the rest of the building the walls were hewn from stone and supported by occasional metal beams. The floor was carpeted and a pair of fireplaces occupied prominent places on either wall. In the centre was a single massive table bedecked with gilt dishes and cutlery. Emma hadn't quite guessed that the gala was going to involve a formal dinner.

"You'll be expected to sit in the proper place two seats down from Lanar. The Autarch will be at the head of the table." Sedna explained. "You'll be wedged in between Meridia's councillor of Harmony and Exarch Mysra from the Lethe Quarter of the Acheron."

"And how exactly am I supposed to make conversation with them?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Oh I shouldn't worry too much about that." Sedna replied smugly. "Mysra's species is mute. He communicates through implanting suggestions into the minds of other organics. The minister, on the other hand, will likely talk your ear off. Just smile and nod often. And remember to have fun."

Sedna released Emma's arm and abandoned her with a wink. Emma grimaced after Sedna but she was soon accosted by the massive green bulk of the Minister of Harmony.

After what seemed like hours of the Minister's prattle over dinner and Mysra's grim silence Emma was countenancing murder. Her thoughts were interrupted by the Autarch banging the table to call their attention to him.

"Fellow officers of the Acheron, assembled dignitaries, it seems appropriate that I take this moment at the end of this fine meal to make an announcement. I have stood as the master of the Acheron of over 50 years. Such a long tenure as commander of a landship is almost unheard of and with good reason. Those in my profession that survive to my age invariably have the good sense to step aside to make room for new minds and fresh perspectives to fill our positions. I would hate to break such a successful tradition and I have therefore decided to step down from my position. I will retire to Meridia for the rest of my days and leave you in the capable hands of my successor. I ask all of you to raise a toast to the new Autarch of the Acheron; Lanar Shas'dre."

The assembled dignitaries rose en masse to applaud the old Autarch and Emma followed them she could feel the blood slowly draining from her face. Looking over at Sedna she could see her pale flesh turning blue in what she assumed to be similar expression of shock. As soon as it was convenient Emma excused herself from the table and ducked out of a set of doors onto and adjoining balcony. She felt vaguely nauseous at the prospect of serving on a ship helmed by an officer who clearly nursed a very bad grudge. As she was collecting her thoughts the door behind her opened. Emma turned expecting to Sedna but was shocked to find Lanar's armoured bulk approaching her. Her hand automatically went to her sword hilt as the new Autarch approached her.

"So Exarch, are you not pleased about the change of command? Have you no words of congratulation for me?" Lanar taunted in a deep baritone.

"Shouldn't you be taunting Sedna?" Emma replied sarcastically. "I was under the distinct impression that your grudge was directed at her."

Lanar paused for a moment seeming somewhat taken aback. "You seem different Exarch."

"That's because I remember who I used to be." Emma spat back.

"So your memories have given you a spine." Lanar rumbled. "So much the better."

"You'll find I've gained far more than just a spine." Emma snarled.

"Good. Where we are going we will have need of component officers." Lanar replied shortly.

"What is it with you and Sedna?" Emma asked pointedly.

"How much do you know," Lanar paused before completing his question. "About your predecessor?"

"Inaa? Besides the fact that she used to command my section and that she changed during a mission shortly before you found me, not much at all." Emma replied irritably.

"Ahh, so you've only heard the sanitized version. No doubt Sedna hasn't been particularly interested in providing you with the whole truth. She wouldn't want ancient history to put a damper on her ambitions." Lanar growled spitefully.

"What ambitions?" Emma snapped back at him.

"Ambitions involving you and a bed. Need I say more?" Lanar taunted.

"Oh, and did she have Inaa in her bed before? Is it a tradition for her?" Emma shot back glibly.

Lanar moved with a burst of startling speed ramming Emma into the unyielding surface of a nearby wall. His massive taloned hand wrapped itself around Emma's throat and exerted just enough pressure to make breathing difficult.

"Now you will listen to me meat. Inaa was my lover and though she maybe one of the fallen I will not tolerate you slandering her name or implying that that twisted harpy of an apothecary was her bedmate." Lanar spat. "That apothecary of yours is far more of a monster than I am."

"Not from where I'm standing." Emma rasped.

"You think not?" Lanar asked giving Emma's throat a squeeze for good measure. "Did you know that we actually rescued Inaa before we departed from the dig site?"

Emma was briefly stunned into silence.

"I entrusted her to the apothecary. Sedna promised me that she would do everything in her power to halt the spread of the nanophage. In the end she proved more interested in studying the disease than actually treating it."

Emma was uncomfortably reminded of the interest that Sedna had appeared to take the extent of her own nanomodifications.

"After several days it was clear that Inaa's condition had worsened to the point of being incurable. Her body was undergoing a physical transformation but worse still her mind was being flayed away by the nanophage. In a final act of stupidity I trusted Sedna to give Inaa her final rest. Instead I soon found out that Sedna had released Inaa into the wilds of Erebus. Part of her is out there suffering at this very moment. It was when I found out about Inaa was still alive that I swore that I would make Sedna suffer for what she had done." Lanar concluded.

"So what am I? The vehicle for your revenge?" Emma hissed at Lanar.

"Yes. It's also more than that. Your continued presence on the ship reminds me of Inaa every day. You are fortunate that you still fulfil a function otherwise I would have killed you long ago." Lanar growled.

With a surge of biotic power Emma sent Lanar flying away from her. Her sword was in her hand in a flash of burning reddish light. The weapon glowed like a living embodiment of her anger.

"I am not a frightened little girl or one of your brainwashed lackeys Lanar." Emma said coldly. "I will remain a part of your crew for now but if I choose to leave then I will leave. If you do anything to try and stop me it will be you that's doing the dying, not me."

Lanar pulled himself up using the wall for support. It was obvious from his expression that he was enraged both at being beaten and by how badly he had misjudged his opponent. Emma knew at that moment that she had overplayed her hand.

"You are strong," Lanar conceded grudgingly. "But there are those who are far stronger."

He turned away from Emma and left her alone on the balcony her naked blade casting dancing spectres of light around her. With a sigh Emma sheathed her blade.

"You'll need to keep an eye on him." A voice purred from behind Emma.

Emma spun to confront her new visitor. A figure in flowing black robes had materialized behind her. It took a moment for Emma to recognize that it was the same Archimandrite that she rescued from the mining colony. Emma's memories of the Archimandrite all seemed to be shrouded in a hazy so that she remembered only vague generalities without the specifics.

"Ahh Emma, I can see what's running through your mind right now. You're trying to remember me and what I looked like." The Archimandrite said responding to Emma's internal turmoil.

"How did you know that?" Emma asked suspiciously.

"You might say that we share a connection you and I." The Archimandrite responded smoothly.

"Who are you?" Emma whispered half dreading the answer.

In response the Archimandrite slowly pulled back her hood and removed the dark shroud from her face. "You should have asked me who I _was_."

Emma's mouth slowly contorted into a rictus of horror as she stumbled backwards away from the Archimandrite. The colour drained from cheeks as she took in the Archimandrite's true form.

"Liara?" Emma breathed in a cross between a sob and a gasp.

Liara's visage was in the midst of fighting what appeared to be a losing battle against an infection of nanotechnology. Unlike Shepard's relatively discreet subdermal implants Liara's had carved a living pattern of metal and energy across her one side of her face. Liara's eyes regarded Emma with a malign set of red irises. Despite the changes Emma could not help but recognize the woman she loved.

"As always you can be counted on to notice the obvious only when it is staring you in the face." Liara taunted.

Emma recoiled at Liara's harsh words as though she had been struck. "What happened to you Liara?"

Liara laughed darkly. "Oh you have no idea. The things I've seen and the things that I've done."

"Stop speaking in riddles." Emma snapped back worriedly a feeling of anxiety twisting her stomach into knots.

"Oh Emma, you cling to your pathetic three dimensional perspective of the world as though it were a lifeline though the reality is that it serves more as a milestone holding you back." Liara teased. "Reach out with all your senses Emma."

Emma could already sense the shadowy presences that clustered around Liara. The presences were simply a means of converting a wash of freely flowing data into a form that Emma's human perception could understand. Deep down she knew all too well that only the Reapers possessed the degree of sophistication necessary to project fragments of themselves across the galaxy.

"You begin to understand don't you Emma?" Liara prodded as she carefully watched the interplay of emotions across Emma's face.

"How did this happen to you?" Emma asked helplessly.

"Not all of us are as lucky as you Emma." Liara answered, the harsh mocking tone that she had been inflicting on Emma gave way to a hint of bitterness. "All I know is that I didn't merit the special attention that you did. Now I'm one with them." Liara made a frustrated gesture at her transfigured face.

"You mean the Reapers?" Emma whispered.

"Yes and the worst part is that I'm not sure where they start and I end." Liara sighed.

Emma tentatively reached her hand out for Liara's. Liara snatched her hand away from Emma's.

"Liara," Emma whispered. "I promise you that I will find some way to save you."

Liara snorted. "It's exactly as they said. Your love for me is the tool that the Reapers are using to manipulate you. Did you think that they didn't anticipate this outcome? You're doing exactly what they want you to do."

"I can't abandon you Liara." Emma sighed, a lump rising in her throat.

"Then you should prepare yourself for a journey into pain." Liara replied coldly.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: 'Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.' We're back though somewhat bizarrely with Chapter 18 rather than Chapter 17. Given that the two narrative streams aren't dependent on one another I can safely release this chapter. I will be working through Miranda's narrative but at the moment Emma's is much more enjoyable especially as she moves towards the apex of her story. You can expect her character to become progressively darker and more angst riven as more and more things start to go wrong. After all this is the dark second act. As always enjoy and drop me a review!

Chapter XVIII: Earth Below Sky Above

Location LD09 Acheron

_Severian Brandy – An exceptionally strong spirit manufactured in Meridia. Beverage of choice for those looking to forget._

The thick brown murk sloshed tepidly in the bottle as Emma slammed the vessel down with somewhat more force than was necessary. In her opposite hand her glass was already making the familiar journey to her lips. She had tried her best to forget that evening back on Meridia but no matter what she tried Liara's face remained burned into her memory. She didn't remember much of the rest of the evening beyond leaving the building and returning to the Acheron. She had sent one of her subordinates to get her things from Sedna's tower and had done her best to ignore the apothecary. Sedna would only introduce more confusion into a situation that Emma was struggling to comprehend. As they had departed from Meridia Emma had attempted to rationalize and plan a means of escaping the vessel with Liara but the more she had puzzled through her options the more inescapable her fate became. She didn't know how to reverse Liara's condition and neither did Sira. To make matters worse Emma hadn't the slightest inkling about where to find sanctuary or how to escape Erebus. With the revelations came the onset of depression and the desperate desire to escape her current predicament.

Emma took a long swallow of the brandy and savoured the burning sensation as it coursed down her throat numbing her pain temporarily. The especially irritating part was that her nanites filtered the alcohol out of her system with considerable alacrity so by the time morning came she was left only with the nagging pain. She was briefly startled as the door to her small quarters opened.

"Emma?" Sedna began.

"Apothecary." Emma spat back using the other's formal title.

"What's wrong with you?" Sedna said recoiling slightly in surprise as Emma swung unsteadily to confront her.

"And what business is that of yours?" Emma snapped. "I don't recall giving permission to invade my privacy but then again I don't suppose that would stop you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sedna growled her ire rising.

Emma slammed her glass down and snatched up the bound diary that had belonged to her predecessor. "I've read Inaa's diary and Lanar told me the truth about what happened to her."

Sedna blanched at this.

"It would seem that Inaa counted herself fortunate to have made a friend of the apothecary when she first arrived. Fortunate, ha." Emma snorted the last word as she set the book down and reached for her glass again. "That friendship didn't do her much good did it? Released into an eternity of servitude to the Reapers."

"What do you mean by that?" Sedna snapped.

"What do you think happens to the fallen?" Emma snarled.

"At least they're alive. While they're alive there is a chance that they may be cured one day." Sedna reasoned sounding as though she was trying to justify her actions to herself as much as she was to Emma.

"No Sedna, their lives are over the moment they succumb to the nanophage. After that they serve the Reapers and are forced to watch as their bodies do the Reapers bidding. To feel more and more of themselves slip away." Emma growled.

"How could you possibly know that?" Sedna asked skeptically.

"I know how the Reapers operate. They consume organic life. They twist it until there's just enough left that's still recognizable to make you think. Just enough to twist the knife." Emma whispered bitterly.

"What's this about? What's this really about?" Sedna prodded.

"The archimandrite – she was my lover." Emma replied simply. Emma turned away from Sedna and raised one hand warningly. "I do not want your pity."

"Perhaps we could -" Sedna began. Emma was on her a moment later.

"You keep your hands off Liara. I've heard what you did to Inaa and I've seen the way you've looked at me. You're more interested in the nanophage than you are in organic life." Emma snapped.

"It's not like that." Sedna attempted.

"Leave me alone Sedna. I don't have any more time for your deceits and intrigues." Emma growled.

"But." Sedna tried again.

Emma slowly unsheathed her sword. "Don't test me Sedna."

Emma waited until Sedna had left. She scarcely noticed as the glass in her hand shattered.

"The mission is to travel into the Kinjirerrata." Lanar proclaimed loudly to the officers assembled in the Acheron's briefing room. "Given the extraordinary nature of our mission it was necessary to ensure all of you fully understood what is at stake."

A loud murmur reverberated through the briefing room aboard the Acheron. For her part Emma was more concerned with watching the black hooded figure that stood at Lanar's side.

"Our mission has been entrusted to us by the highest authority." Lanar explained, a hint of pride creeping into his voice as he called up a projection of their destination from the briefing room table. "This is an abandoned fortress lying in roughly the epicentre of the Kinjirerrata. It was said to be the original home of the clergy. The clergy has tasked us with retrieving whatever records or salvage is present in that location. The area has been classified as a Priority 1 hazard zone due to the high concentration of Xalun'tar throughout the area. Expect frequent attacks from the Fallen. I expect everyone to take this seriously and to make sure their subordinates take it seriously. That is all."

As the assembled officers stood angry murmurs rumbled around the briefing room. Kava quickly made his way to Emma's side.

"We're the first ship to enter the Kinjirerrata in almost 100 hundred years." Kava whispered worriedly.

"Why?" Emma asked in confusion.

Kava didn't respond but instead bowed his head in a deferential manner. As Emma looked away from her subordinate she found herself face to face with the featureless black mask of the Archimandrite.

"Every ship that has entered the area has been lost with no survivors." The archimandrite chuckled. Emma gave the Archimandrite a baleful stare. "You will come with me Emma."

Emma reluctantly obeyed and followed the Archimandrite as she led her through the ship towards her quarters. To say the Archimandrite's quarters were spartan would have been an understatement. The only features were a desk and a pair of chairs – one on either side. As the Archimandrite sat she motioned for Emma to do the same.

"It is not a request Emma." The Archimandrite remarked casually as she unwrapped her face mask. Emma sat down as Liara's face slowly emerged from the black cowl. "So you've been drinking?"

"How did you know?" Emma's reply coming halfway between a snap of irritation and grumble.

"The fact that you are in close proximity to me allows me to read your biological process history off your nanites." Liara replied coolly. "I see that we have moved through the pathetic sequence of organic responses straight to depression. Seeing me again was not everything that you had hoped for?"

"Did the Reapers give you a talent for understatement?" Emma spat back.

"The witty repartee – the classic defense for someone who is trying to hide their true feelings." Liara said analytically. "There is no point in hiding what you feel Emma. I can practically taste it."

"And what is it that you taste?"

Liara paused as though savouring her response before answering. "A strong flavour of distress. Depression at your perceived failure to insure my safety or to save me from what I have become. Guilt for having dragged me into this whole situation. Finally, perhaps best of all, hopelessness."

Emma swallowed quietly.

"From your silence I would say that this is an accurate rundown. Fortunately for you our thread is reaching its end. The Acheron will not survive this journey." Liara concluded.

"What do you mean? Why this pretext? You could kill me now and have done with it." Emma demanded angrily.

"Maybe it's because we want to watch you. We want to watch your hope die as we have watched the hopes of countless species across countless worlds die at our approach." Liara taunted.

"No, something is off." Emma reasoned. "You would never waste resources on this scale to bring me to a spot on a dead world in dark space just to kill me."

Liara smiled darkly. "The words you want to add to that sentence are 'would you?'"

"No I don't want to add those. The Reapers are machines and machines are practical and logical. You may hate organic life but everything you do has a purpose." Emma shot back.

"Perhaps when the crew of the Acheron is dead you will be able to divine that purpose. For now you will simply have to wait." Liara replied as she calmly began to rewrap her face.

"I still have questions." Emma ground out.

"And you shall not receive answers. Goodbye Emma."

As the Acheron crossed the border from the relatively safe lands near Meridia into Kinjirerrata the crew braced themselves for the inevitable Xalun'tar attack. The attack never came. The landship's external sensors detected no trace of the Xalun'tar even the unfortunate recon parties returned to the ship without even a scratch. For the more seasoned members of the Acheron's crew waiting was a condition they were familiar with but the lack of any sign of their enemy served to unhinge their composure. For the greener members of the crew the waiting led to fear and that fear quickly found outlets. Emma knew that the waiting was just another twist of the knife perpetrated by the Reapers. She knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened and she did her best not think of what would happen when that day came.

After three days in the bleak desert of Kinjirerrata the Reapers finally made their move though it was so imperceptible that most scarcely noticed it. As Emma was idly playing with her food in the Styges quarter mess one of the recruits from Meridia hurled his plate at one of his fellows. Fights had been becoming more common and crew had been becoming progressively more sullen and resentful. Emma had taken to going everywhere armed and while she didn't particularly identify herself as being one of the oppressors she didn't think that the crew would make the distinction. Emma rose to her feet, a mild irritation playing across her features. The travails of her subordinates were a small matter when compared to her own burdens, or so she thought.

The pair of recruits were draftees from the Acheron's last layover in Meridia. Emma was hard pressed to remember the names of the command staff without even trying to remember the names of the maintenance staff aboard the Acheron. Electing not to say anything Emma pulled her pistol free of its holster and whipped it across the nearest recruit's head sending him to the floor. She slowly pointed the stubby barrel of the weapon at the other recruit.

"What's all this then?" Emma asked, her voice a low hiss.

When the man in front of her failed to respond Emma took a closer look at him. Under her gaze black lines of nanotechnology slowly worked their way across his face.

"There are some places on this world where organic life was never meant to tread." The recruit gurgled. In a single motion he casually slapped Emma's pistol out of her hands. As the recruit advanced towards her Emma hurled herself at him. She found some small gratification in the look of surprise on the man's face as she collided with him. With a bone jarring impact the two collided with a nearby wall. With a swift move drove the recruit's head into the wall rendering him unconscious.

A small crowd had gathered around her and watched as the recruit collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap. As he rolled on to his back the work of the nanites became visible to the crowd.

"The Cold Shadow!" One of the crew screamed.

"Their hand is upon us!" Another shouted.

The crowd scattered in moments leaving Emma and Kava alone.

"What's wrong with them?" Emma growled. As she noticed Kava keeping his distance from her she revised her statement. "What's wrong with you?"

"The Cold Shadow refers to what's happening to him. It's a more aggressive and contagious form of what afflicted Inaa." Kava stuttered. "By touching him you've been contaminated, as has that other recruit."

Emma snorted derisively. "It seems like superstition to me. I don't feel any worse."

"The Shadow is cunning. It hides. Right now I can't even be sure that I'm really talking to you and not something else." Kava replied hesitantly. His hand trailed towards his weapon.

"I hate to break it to you Kava but you've got the same nanites inside you as that recruit." Emma growled.

Kava drew his own pistol and pointed it towards Emma. "I know that I'm still in control but I can't be sure about you. Not until we've seen the apothecary."

"You must be joking." Emma spat. "I'm not letting her touch me."

"It's that or death." Kava answered, the resolve clear in his voice.

"Fine." Emma sighed.

Kava escorted her through the ship to the apothecary. The infirmary was quiet when they entered. Sedna was busily organizing her paperwork and was quite startled to find a fuming Emma and nervous looking Kava waiting for her.

"She may have come into contact with the Cold Shadow." Kava said, answering Sedna's unspoken question. "Two ratings from the Styges quarter have been affected as well. We'll have them placed in quarantine."

"Thank you Kava. I can handle it from here." Sedna answered in an even tone.

Kava nodded quickly evidently glad to pass of his problem to someone else. As he left Sedna glanced over at Emma.

"It's always the same with disease. Organic life is terrified of it. The one thing we have almost no control over." Sedna mused. "Now it would appear that you've lost control Emma."

Emma turned towards Sedna, her face pinched by anger. "If you think you're in control here Sedna you are gravely mistaken."

"Oh? Tell me what do you plan to do? Kill me and escape?" Sedna asked derisively. "If you set one foot outside the infirmary you'll be tracked, cornered and killed. Just look at Kava. He raised a gun to his superior officer. He would have killed you if you made the slightest move towards him. That's what fear does. I've seen it before."

"Point taken." Emma grumbled.

"Now take off your coat. I'm going to want to get both a tissue and a blood sample. You might want to get comfortable, you'll be here a while." Sedna ordered with the hint of a grin. Emma couldn't decide if the expression was predatory or genuine amusement at the sudden reversal of fortune that Emma had fallen prey to.

Emma slowly stripped her duty jacket off and rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. Sedna worked with a certain businesslike diligence and quickly finished collecting samples. As she fed the samples into her laboratory's various apparatus. As the machinery slowly churned through its diagnostic subroutine Sedna turned back to Emma.

"We never did finish that conversation in your quarters." Sedna remarked with a hint of ire.

"Now is not the time." Emma snapped back.

"Ah but it is. Nowhere to run to this time Emma and you can't very well kick me out of my own infirmary." Sedna responded with a slight smirk.

"Very well then Sedna. Tell me what this is about." Emma grudgingly replied.

"Perhaps I should have told the truth about Inaa but I was aware of how it would look. Perhaps what I did for you was not done simply for my own benefit but as a penance for what happened to Inaa. Perhaps I hoped for something beyond grim reality. I could go on but I doubt you will believe me." Sedna explained resignedly. "There is undoubtedly something more important. I've seen the Cold Shadow at work before. I was lucky to have survived that outbreak. The disease, if it can be called that, is a changeling virus."

"A changeling virus?" Emma asked in genuine puzzlement.

"Basically it's a virus that alters its host rather than simply attempting to survive and multiply. In this case it's a mechanical rather than biological infection. The nanites infect their host and eventually warp the host organism into one of the Xalun'tar granting the host increased physical strength and alacrity as well as a host of other improvements."

"I would hardly call the improvements." Emma snorted.

"Oh?" Sedna parried, raising a quizzical eyebrow. "You appear to have been the beneficiary of many of the same improvements. Take your brain for example..."

"I would rather you didn't."

Sedna shot her a withering glare before continuing. "The various lobes have been almost completely laced with nanotechnology and in the case of your parietal lobe mostly replaced by nanoforms."

Emma's jaw worked briefly. She knew perfectly well that her body had been enhanced by cybernetics but she had never given much thought to the direct impact.

Sedna read Emma's concern from her expression. "The nanoforms are of a symbiotic nature. The parietal lobe enhancement seems to have been designed to mimic organic tissue while providing superior response and feedback to stimuli. Your memory centre is particularly interesting as well. It has developed a double layer of nanotechnology which replicates its organic counterpart. In short you have redundant memory storage."

"Well that's a comfort." Emma murmured.

"The rest of your body has had similar enhancements. Most interestingly you have a damage control system which rivals most warships. In the event of catastrophic damage the nanites will create workarounds for damaged organs and tissue while repairs are being affected. In the event of more significant damage your body will can enter a near death state while your neurological functions are sustained by your nanites."

"So short of completely vaporizing my body I'm indestructible. Is that what you're saying?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Not just that." Sedna replied with an excited grin. "If enough of your nanites survive it is likely that you could infect a host body or computer system even if your original body was destroyed."

Emma's look changed from one of skepticism to one of horror. Sedna's face fell as she realized what she had just said.

"So basically I can handily defeat any equivalent opponent to myself, manipulate organic life and transcend death." Emma summarized coldly.

"Yes." Sedna replied in a small voice.

"And I suspect that this is a prelude to telling me I can weather the Cold Shadow." Emma asked.

"The nanotechnology involved in that particular iteration of the nanophage is vastly inferior to your architecture. For an average crew member the nanites are the equivalent of a monstrously sophisticated invader which consumes their bodies to replicate while at the same time reformatting the body in its wake. For you the nanites are little more than a nuisance." Sedna concluded.

"I don't suppose it would be possible to culture an antidote from my nanites?" Emma queried in a businesslike tone - her personal concerns set aside for the moment.

"I've tried that." Sedna sighed. "When attempting culture the nanites with foreign tissue your nanites would either devour the tissue and escape or self-destruct. They appear to be biometrically encoded to your body."

"How did you get my nanites?" Emma asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't really matter now," Sedna answered guiltily. "I extracted them while you were unconscious when we first found you. I had to verify you weren't a threat to the ship. I thought I had found a cure for the nanophage in you."

Emma let out a long sigh. She knew deep down that Sedna had been placed in a grueling and difficult situation by her role on the Acheron and by life on Erebus. It was only natural for her to turn to extremes. Emma felt that she could no longer fault Sedna for what she had done.

"It's alright Sedna. In your position I may well have done the same thing." Emma said.

"Thank you." Sedna answered with a note of relief. "It doesn't help us much though. With the presence of the Cold Shadow aboard it's only a matter of time before the whole crew falls ill and transforms into the fallen. I fear that you might be the only survivor and I doubt that you will survive what comes after."

"I doubt I will." Emma said, already speculating about the ensuing bloodbath. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"We could escape." Sedna suggested hopefully.

"How?" Emma murmured half-heartedly.

"We could steal one of the support vehicles." Sedna explained. "If we sabotaged some of the Acheron's systems we could be long gone by the time the ship is lost. We could even save your friend the computer program."

Emma's brow furrowed. "You've actually planned this out."

"Yes." Sedna replied with the hint of a smirk. "Sira has been of some help in that regard."

Sira coalesced into existence on one of Sedna's terminals. "It seemed to be the logical course of action if we are to ever leave dark space." Sira said coolly.

"How soon can we leave?" Emma asked.

"Almost immediately. If there are any supplies you need you could get them. I have a few final preparations to see to." Sedna answered.

A smile slowly crept across Emma's face. Perhaps if she escaped the Acheron she would be able to return and save Liara. She knew that the Reapers were hardly likely to dispose of one of their most useful assets so casually which gave her a window of opportunity. "I'll be right back." Emma added as she headed for the door.

It did not take Emma long to grab her weapons from her quarters as well as a change of clothes and a few personal items. As she stepped back into the infirmary a series of doubts gradually began to worm their way into her heart. As Emma stepped into Sedna's office the doubts had matured into a set of terrors. Their source was standing in front of her.

"Hello Emma." Liara said amiably. "Were you planning a trip?"

Emma bit back a curse as she dropped her bag and wrenched her pistol free of its holster.

"Now, now Emma." Liara waggled her finger reproachfully. "That's no way to treat the woman who loves you."

"Stand aside Liara. We're leaving." Emma spat.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Liara said with a hint of annoyance.

"I'd like to see you try and stop me." Emma snarled.

With a fluid movement Liara drew a long curved blade of pure obsidian from beneath her robes and rammed it into the deck with a loud clang. "Perhaps this might dissuade you."

With a flick of her wrist Emma transferred her pistol to her left hand and drew her own sword. The weapon glowed a baleful red and seemed to pulse with hunger. "It's not as though you have a monopoly on swords and don't think you can beat me at swordplay."

"Ahh overconfidence." Liara purred. She paused and considered for a moment. "No fighting you would be making it too easy. It's not time yet. Not time by far."

"Then surrender." Emma growled as she pointed the sword at Liara.

Liara's sword disappeared back into her robes. "You should know that the surface vehicles have been disabled."

"If we have to walk out of here then so be it." Emma said resolutely.

"You wouldn't get 5 kilometres with the Xalun'tar trying to kill you." Liara chided. "And if they didn't kill you the atmosphere would."

"Better a slim chance than being trapped in your noose." Emma spat.

"I doubt you would get even five kilometres with your companion trying to kill you." Liara replied with a note of savage delight in her voice.

"What have you done?" Emma hissed.

"Being an apothecary is a treacherous business. It would seem that Sedna accidentally exposed herself to a slow acting form of the Cold Shadow." Liara adopted a mock pensive expression. "I wonder how that happened?"

"You!" Emma snarled as she leveled her pistol and prepared to pull the trigger. She no longer saw her lover but only the twisted abomination that wore her flesh.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Liara cautioned.

Emma's only response was to pull the trigger. The hammer clicked down detonating the liquid propellant but instead of propelling the large calibre shell out of the barrel the explosion was trapped in the weapon. With nowhere to go the explosion ruptured the propellant of the two other shells in the revolving magazine. The resulting blast of flame destroyed the weapon sending fire and shrapnel flying. Emma's expression warped from shock at the misfire to horror at the explosion to a rictus of agony as the blast burnet her hand and sent a number of tiny shards into her face and body. Dropping to her knees Emma clutched her maimed hand to her body and let out a howl of agony.

"So predictable." Liara murmured as she turned and rifled through Sedna's medicine cabinet. She returned to Emma's side with a syringe filled with a clear solution. Emma regarded her with pain filled green eyes. Beneath the pain there was an undercurrent of hate.

"A heavy broad spectrum sedative." Liara explained as jabbed the syringe into Emma's carotid. "When you wake up this will all just be a pleasant memory."

As the sedative worked its way through Emma's bloodstream she was able to make a few more words before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

"We have arrived."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Well it's back though anyone who's been with the story since the beginning will probably wish that it hadn't come back for at least the next several chapters.

Chapter XX: Ashes to Ashes

A dull clanging sound shocked Emma from her slumber. Shoving herself off the decking it took her a moment for her to get her bearings. She was still in Sedna's office but everything had changed. The normally tidy office was paved with discarded scraps of paper. Sedna's desk had been overturned and bore the marks of several projectile impacts. A single glowbulb burned above her casting the room into a state of half-light.

Emma stumbled as she rose to her feet. Her own sense of balance felt as though it was in as bad shape as the room and her stomach didn't feel much better. Stumbling to Sedna's medicine cabinet she flung it open in hopes of finding some sort of pharmaceutical assistance. The cabinet was empty save for an empty bottle and a single syringe. Emma slowly fumbled the bottle into her hands and read the label. The now empty bottle was a container of broad spectrum sedatives which explained the passage of time.

Emma cursed loudly and flung the bottle at the wall of Sedna's office. Her world had obviously unravelled while she had been unconscious, all that was left was to determine the degree. Emma shivered and inched her way over to her bag. She pulled her jacket on which gave her some protection against the cold. Quickly rifling through her bag she found a single shot version of her pistol as well as a pouch of ammunition. Her sword and rifle lay by the bag. Clipping the sword onto her belt she slung the rifle over her back and proceeded unsteadily into the infirmary proper.

The infirmary, like Sedna's office, looked as though it had been the sight of a pitched battle. There was an acrid and bitter scent in the air something like the scent of a chemical fire. Emma's booted foot crunched across the fine layer of ash that lay on the deckplates. Propped against a makeshift barricade of tables and cots was Sedna. As Emma reached her she was quickly able to determine the extent of the nanophage's invasion. One of Sedna's hands had been completely eaten away leaving only a collection of bladed digits. Sedna's face was strangely peaceful despite the transformation of the rest of her body and for a moment Emma wondered if she was already dead. A ragged breath soon disabused her of that notion.

"That bad huh?" Sedna whispered. "I guess I've lost my looks for sure now."

Emma knelt down at Sedna's side and placed a hand on Sedna's shoulder. "What happened?"

Sedna coughed. "Hate to break it to you Emma but you've been out for three days. Time enough for the entire ship to go to hell."

"Three days?" Emma asked softly.

"Mhm." Sedna murmured. "I'm sorry Emma but I kept you under for most of it. _She_ made me do it."

"The archimandrite." Emma said simply.

"I had no choice. If hadn't cooperated I would be running around out there with the rest of them." Sedna answered with a shudder. "At least this way I can say good bye."

"Don't talk like that Sedna. We'll find a way out of this." Emma attempted.

"The only thing that's keeping me together is this table and these drugs." Sedna gurgled as she gestured at a pile of used syringes and empty bottles. "It would appear that I seem to have used them all up. That's what I get for self-medicating."

"Sedna is there anything I can do?" Emma asked her voice thick with emotion.

Sedna shook her head with a grimace. "Not for me. The ship is filled with the fallen. Your friend's computer program is on a data core located in the engineering section. While you're there you might want to consider activating the self-destruct."  
>"Why?" Emma asked in puzzlement.<p>

"Well it would incinerate all our old co-workers and who wouldn't want to do that?" Sedna replied with the hint of a chuckle. "Seriously though, this is no life. It would be a kindness to spare us an existence like this."

"What about you?" Emma murmured

"Oh I've already made my travel plans." Sedna whispered her face turning the colour of ash as the nanites crawled across her cheek. She gently patted a large cylinder emblazoned with prominent red warnings. "A canister of Plasmalite explosive. Used for demolition of rock faces."

"You'll die." Emma whispered.

"That's the general idea." Sedna replied distractedly. In an almost conversational tone she continued. "I don't think the nanites appreciate what I'm trying to do. I get the sense that I don't have much longer. It's time for you to run Emma."

Emma bent down and pressed a kiss to Sedna's parched lips. "Thank you Sedna. I wish I could have been more for you." Emma sighed.

Sedna let out a contented murmur as she slowly activated the charge's timer. "Goodbye Emma."

Emma quickly scrambled over the barricade and through the infirmary door. The adrenaline coursing through her veins was enough to override the residual symptoms of her long sleep. Dashing down the darkened corridors Emma ran heedlessly trying to put as much distance between her and the infirmary. A slight puff of air followed by a wave of heat and a loud roar let her know that the charge had done its work. The weapon had erased all trace of her friend.

"Goodbye Sedna." Emma whispered hoarsely.

A series of snarls and howls answered her from the darkness. In the half light of the corridor Emma had trouble making out much beyond a few metres in front of her. Her implants were too badly compromised to provide much in the way of assistance. Emma pointed her pistol unsteadily into the darkness her ire slowly rising. The Reapers had stolen her lover and now they had stolen her friend. The burning fire of vengeance was the last emotion Emma had to cling to in order to drive herself forward. A dull clang echoed from the companionway in front of her. Another barrage of howling screams erupted from the darkness this time much closer.

"Come on." Emma snarled. "Come on."

The first member of the fallen emerged out of the gloom at her urging. Warped beyond all semblance of what the crewmember had been the abomination had dispensed with legs and the lower part of its torso in its place was a long scorpion like tail. The face had reassembled itself into a collection of camera eyes and fangs and it regarded Emma with a hungry curiosity. Emma leveled her pistol at the creature before her and fired. The bullet impacted on the creature's torso with a ringing vibration. The creature reared back momentarily in surprise before slowly hovering closer to Emma. With a loud curse Emma flung her pistol away and drew her sword. Emma's choice of weapons had little impact upon the abomination's continued advance. With a furious stride Emma closed the gap between her and the creature and swung her sword at it. The Xalun'tar reacted with lightning speed and recoiled from the blade while parrying it with its claws. Putting both her hands on the hilt Emma twisted the blade free taking one of the creature's claws with her. Spinning backwards in pain and surprise the creature hissed menacingly at Emma before launching itself at her. With a quick movement Emma ducked under the abomination's claws and drove her sword up through its body. The creature let out a gurgling sigh and went limp.

Levering the dead Xalun'tar off her blade Emma was just in time to notice two sets of red eyes watching their companion's demise. A loud thump let Emma know that another one had taken position behind her. Narrowing her eyes Emma advanced on the two abominations in front of her, choosing to ignore the enemy behind her. In an effort to intimidate her the two before her illuminated their cybernetics casting their bladed appendages into a blood red relief. To any sane organic the pair would have been cause for panic. Emma was far beyond sanity by that point.

Several moments later the three Xalun'tar had been reduced to their component parts and Emma was sporting several new cuts on her face and upper arms. A small price to pay to sate her hunger for revenge she reflected.

The companionway was deserted and it was clear to Emma that the fallen ones were giving her a wide berth. Like any predator they were studying her for weaknesses or so Emma hoped. Trusting in her memory of her previous trip to the engineering section Emma picked her way through the wrecked companionways of the Acheron. She was forced to stop several times as packs of Xalun'tar would plant themselves in her path although they never seemed willing to attack her the way the first group had.

After what felt like an eternity of groping and stumbling through the half-light of the Acheron Emma arrived at the engineering section. A spasm of nausea halted Emma as memories of the last time she had entered the engineering section returned to her. With a short snort of laughter and an arm wrapped around her stomach she entered the engineering bay.

She had almost no idea what form Sira's core would take. Emma carefully made her way to the central console but was dismayed to find most of the terminals smashed. Setting her sword down Emma busied herself trying to cobble a functioning terminal out of the destroyed components. After several false starts Emma was able finagle one of the displays to produce a wobbly interface for her. Delicately keying in her query Emma mentally crossed her fingers as the device hummed and the display faded in and out of focus. The display slowly printed a map across the screen indicating that computer core lay at the rear of the engineering bay. Picking up her sword Emma became aware of the fact that there was something else in the engineering bay with her. Surveying the darkened section Emma silently cursed both the size and darkness of it. As she paused to listen she was acutely of the various sounds that echoed through the bay. The hiss of escaping steam, the drip of condensation and the clank of loose metal parts all filtered across the chamber but as to hard evidence of the presence of another being in the engineering section there was no sound.

Emma cautiously walked down the companionway towards the computer core all the while checking over her shoulder. The computer core itself was a brooding, heavily shielded structure at the rear of the engineering compartment. Levering aside the metal blast door Emma felt a rush of warm air puff by her. Looking through the door Emma found a ladder which disappeared into the darkness below. Ringing the ladder were bank after bank of data drives ranging from primitive solid state drives to more complex crystalline or liquid state processors. Emma groaned inwardly at her chances of finding Sira within the complexity. Wearily Emma began to descend the ladder and slowly worked her way through row after row of data drives. Using her somewhat limited knowledge of the alien characters that had been used to label the Acheron's various ship systems Emma was able to find the cluster of data modules linked to her quarter. Emma fumbled her way through the modules only to find a large gap where she would have expected to find the module containing Sira's personality.

Emma let loose with a string of invective at this and for a brief moment she was tempted to abandon her entire insane enterprise of finding Sira. The termination of Emma's indecision came in the form of a large heavy weight impacting against her. Emma's tenuous grip on the ladder came undone and in a moment she and the projectile were dropping down through the shaft. Thinking quickly Emma flared her biotics in an effort to arrest her descent.

With a loud thump her booted feet impacted on the decking at the bottom of the shaft and with an effort Emma was able to keep her footing. Of the projectile's landing there was no sign or sound. Emma took a moment to take stock of her new surroundings. As she was searching for some form of illumination beyond the dim light cast by the computer cores' status displays she heard the telltale rustle and rattle of metal and flesh rearranging itself. The base of the shaft was cast into sharp relief by a soft golden light as the projectile slowly began to uncurl itself.

The creature had once been a bipedal humanoid just like Emma but it had been warped by the invasion of nanotechnology. Beneath the tumult of the invasion hints of violet flesh still remained. A pair of glowing golden orbs considered Emma.

"She calls you daughter." The creature rasped with a voice atrophied from long disuse. "I call you successor."

Emma's jaw worked for several seconds as her mind quickly identified the being before her. "Inaa."

"Yessss." The other hissed. "That name has meaning to me once again. For so long it was the name of a dead woman but now she exists once again – a wraith."

"What do you want?" Emma growled staring balefully at Inaa.

"I do not want. _She_ wants." Inaa replied indifferently.

"Who? The Archimandrite?" Emma still couldn't bring herself to equate the abomination with her lover.

"No, you are close now. Too close to a misstep. You must be preserved." Inaa continued cryptically as though she was talking to herself.

"What does 'she' want then?" Emma continued, her patience fast wearing thin.

Inaa pointed up to the rows of computer cores. "You will recover your friend. It is her will."

"Fine. Can I at least assume that you know where Sira is?"

"With my payment."

Emma bit back a soft curse at the opaque nature of Inaa's words. "Lead the way then."

Without another word Inaa turned away from Emma and slowly began to cut through a section of the hull with her bladed hands. Emma shuddered and slowly drew her sword out of its scabbard. The physical prowess of her predecessor was alarming to say nothing of the speed with which she was able to slice the wall apart. With a clang a section of thick hull plating fell at Inaa's feet, the edges smouldering in the golden light projected from Inaa's implants. Eschewing the use of her feet Inaa floated through the aperture and down the companionway behind. Emma shook her head at the shear folly of what she was doing and hurried after the abomination. She tried to calm herself by persuading herself that she could always kill her before she inevitably reverted back to her mindless self.

"Did you know that the word abomination in your language comes from an older root language and meant 'away from prophecy'?" Inaa remarked almost conversationally.

Emma skidded to a halt.

"You are genuinely surprised that I can read your thoughts?" Inaa laughed, a sound halfway between the shattering of glass and the sound of gunfire. "You are a larva. Carried on the backs of her slaves to your destination. Fed her nectar, her nanites. It all unfolds according to her design. Your future is what she deigns it to be."

"You make it sound like I'm ..." Emma trailed off at the disquieting conclusion.

"A larval Reaper? Far worse." Inaa continued down the companionway.

"Damnit, I want answers." Emma shouted after Inaa.

"_She_ will give them to you." Inaa replied simply.

"Not good enough!" Emma growled as she caught up with Inaa.

With a single fluid movement Inaa's form rotated in place. In an instant one of Inaa's clawed hands had wrapped itself around Emma's mouth. "You will be silent."

Emma struggled for a moment but a painful tightening of the claw dissuaded her from continuing her struggles. As Emma acquiesced Inaa released her.

"Your petty screeching will attract the Reapers pets." Inaa explained in an angry whisper.

"Aren't you one of them?" Emma whispered back.

"Was." Inaa waved her hand warningly at Emma.

Emma slowly nodded.

The companionway opened up into the hangar bay for the ground vehicles. The bay was open to the elements and the cold was biting. As Emma squinted against the howling wind Inaa grabbed her and unceremoniously dragged her through the maelstrom into a nearby locker room. As Emma caught her breath Inaa gestured at the racks of environmental gear that Emma would need if she wanted to leave the ship. Emma was so busy cobbling together the gear that she never noticed Inaa disappear through a nearby grate in the floor. To Emma's consternation her guide was nowhere to be found. Letting her held breath hiss out between her teeth Emma slowly unsheathed her blade. Before stepping back out into the hangar bay Emma slid her borrowed rebreather down over her face.

Outside the pressurized locker room Emma could barely make out her hand in front of her face. Emma was in the middle of mentally cursing her lack of low light vision when, as if in answer to her complaints, her vision abruptly morphed. Blinking repeatedly Emma was unable to banish the complicated sonar overlay of the hangar bay that had replaced her normal vision. Holding up her hand in front of her she was now able to not only perceive the limb in front of her but almost every strand of technology that had woven itself into the limb.

"What's happening to me?" Emma murmured. In her time since being augmented by Sira Emma had never been able to unlock the full potential of the nanites. With Sira's help and guidance she had been able to barely scratch the surface of her abilities. In the past her nanites had been closer to elements of her autonomic nervous system than active agents of her will. Only a few systems had been pliable to her primitive commands.

Emma's consideration of her offending hand was interrupted by a dull thump from in front of her. Looking into the howling abyss Emma was able to easily localize the massive bulk of her commanding officer.

"Exarch!" He screamed at her.

"Lanar." Emma growled, more to herself than to the being before her.

"Where's Sedna, you traitorous whore?" Lanar yelled.

"Dead." Emma screamed back, in an effort to make herself heard across the howling wind.

"Good. You're all that's left." Lanar boomed. To Emma it sounded as if he was laughing. The 'man' had evidently come unhinged by the ordeal of the past several days.

"Give it up Lanar! You cannot hope to best me." Emma warned.

Lanar's only response was roar as he charged towards her. With her augmented eyesight Emma was able to dive off the gantry that they had been standing on and landed with a feline grace on the roof of one of the scouting vehicles. Lanar cast about above her in an effort to figure out where she had disappeared to. Skirting across the roof of the vehicle Emma was able to scramble up a cluster of refueling pipes and silently slipped onto the gantry behind Lanar.

Too late Lanar registered her presence behind him. In a single smooth motion Emma drove her sword through his back. Lanar's masked head seemed to be considering the sudden appearance of the blade in his body with puzzlement. Emma drew the blade out and watched as her onetime foe stumbled around to face her. Emma felt only disgust at herself at the shear ease with which she had ousted the being who had oppressed her throughout her time on Erebus. The victory had all flavour of a mouthful of ash.

"So Exarch, you've beaten me." Lanar gurgled, scarcely audible over the raging storm.

"I told you. I demonstrated my power to you. Why didn't you surrender? Why didn't you just leave me alone?" Emma practically screamed at Lanar half to make herself heard and half out of despair.

"To let go of the past was to betray her." Lanar coughed as he fell to his knees.

"Who?" Emma shouted.

Lanar gestured listlessly at a space behind Emma. Turning around Emma was momentarily blinded by the sheer complexity of the hybrid being behind her. As her mind quickly processed Inaa's appearance into a more comprehensible form Emma was able to make out not only her physical appearance but also almost every node of technology, every strand of modified genetic code and every neural process.

"Inaa, what did you do?" Emma snapped.

"I did nothing." Inaa spat back. "Your friend is in the vehicle below us. My work is done. Now leave me to enjoy the ashes that are my payment."

With a dismissive shove Inaa bulled her way past Emma towards Lanar. Emma couldn't make out any form of communication between the two but she knew from first-hand experience that words were not necessary. A lump rose in her throat as she turned away.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Warning: contains Character Death.

Chapter XXI Dust to Dust

As the Acheron slowly shrank into the distance behind her Emma breathed a sigh of relief. The vehicle she had 'appropriated' was a small tracked scout with, what Emma imagined to be, a limited range. As promised Sira's personality core had been neatly stowed in the rear cargo compartment of the vehicle. Try as she might Emma had been unable to interact in any manner with Sira. While she could perceive that the core was intact and active Emma could not get Sira to communicate. It was almost as though Sira's output was being jammed.

After abandoning Sira's core Emma had been able to coerce the simple navigation system into setting a course back the way the Acheron had come. Settling back into the pilot's seat Emma allowed her to mind to wander as she stared into the darkness. Even with her now augmented vision there was nothing in front of her but a flattened plain. A gnawing feeling of guilt was slowly eating away at Emma as she wondered what she was going to do. She still had no idea where she was going or how she was going to get off Erebus.

So far, the changes that her nanites had arbitrarily decided to embark on were beneficial as far as she could tell. Emma was still troubled by the fact her nanites were acting with a will of their own. Yet more confusing was Inaa's sudden appearance as an emissary of some mysterious entity. While Emma was prepared to wager her future on Erebus that the Reapers were somehow connected to the chain of events that had landed her on the scout she was no longer certain that the Reapers were a single unified entity. Casting her thoughts back to Sovereign Emma was reminded that it had described itself as an independent nation. If there was one thing that Emma was certain about it was that Sovereign's statement meant that the Reapers were less unified in thought and action than they would have her believe. Judging from her interactions with both Archon and Nemesis her theory had some merit but it brought her no closer to divining their respective agendas.

Letting out a shaky sigh Emma allowed her eyes to drift shut. She was safe for the moment and she was exhausted, perhaps sleep would give her the perspective that she needed to understand the designs of the Reapers.

Emma awoke what felt like moments after having drifted off to sleep. Looking around she found herself still in the vehicle's cockpit but the vehicle was no longer moving. Emma's fingers danced across the controls but try as she might she could not coax the machinery back to life. As she sucked in a breath Emma realized that she could no longer hear the soft drone of the environmental system's fans. Having grown up in the hazardous environment of the void Emma's actions were second nature to her. With a single movement she located her rebreather and slipped it over her face. Taking several deep breaths Emma sighed in relief as her mind began to clear.

It was obvious that the vehicle had suffered some sort of catastrophic failure but what was less obvious was the cause. Unstrapping herself Emma fumbled her way through the cramped vehicle. The temperature was already dropping and Emma bundled herself in a thick coat before crawling into the cargo compartment to access the engine. Looking around, Emma was instantly confronted by several open access panels and a mass of burnt wiring and circuitry. Casting her gaze across the shambles Emma could find no trace of Sira's personality core. Someone had been in the vehicle with her and when she had dozed off that person had sabotaged the vehicle and stolen Sira. The entire situation seemed to be a dismal repetition of what had happened to her on the Acheron. Emma slowly bit into her lip until the blood began to flow in an effort to stop herself from screaming in rage and despair. Grinding her teeth together Emma's biotics flared an angry red as she ripped the side of the vehicle's hull open. The angry wind of Erebus came howling in to meet her. With a running jump Emma hurled herself out through the ragged aperture and out on to the sands of Erebus.

Landing on the soft sands Emma was struck by a hail of stinging particles. She had landed in the middle of a sandstorm. Pulling up the hood of her coat to protect her from the wind Emma took a moment to take her bearings. The saboteur had left her in the middle of a deep valley. With rock on either side of her Emma had only two choices; go back the way she had come or press on down the valley. For Emma it was little more than a single choice. Bowing her head she struggled forward down the valley.

The valley itself seemed to stretch on interminably and after several kilometres Emma was cursing her own stupidity and rash actions. Her coat and her hair were covered in sand and dust and her rebreather was heavily pitted by the flying particles. Still she continued struggling down the valley. Several steps later Emma's augmented eyes finally allowed her to perceive an end to the valley. The cruelest irony of all, Emma mused, would be to find that the valley was an empty cauldron and her trek had been for the naught. Emma had made a very dangerous gamble that whatever interests had brought her this far were interested in seeing her survive.

As it turned out Emma's gamble was about to pay off. Inset in the cauldron at the end of the valley was an archway far too regular in its dimensions to be the product of natural forces. Struggling against the wind Emma was barely able to stumble through the aperture.

The moment she was through the wind died down to a muted roar. Emma slowly caught her breath as she tried to get the sand out of her hair. The arch gave on to a long tunnel set on a flagstone base. If Emma were to hazard a guess it would be that she had stumbled into the remains of the Ereban clergy's old base of operations. Sorting herself out as best she could Emma made her way down the tunnel. The tunnel was on a slight incline and curved gently away. After several minutes of walking the only sound was the crunch of her footfalls. Several times Emma caught herself starting the scraping sound of rockfalls triggered by her presence. The deeper she went into the tunnel the more uneasy she felt. The heat of her anger had dissipated taking with it much of her capacity for rational thought leaving its place a grim determination to follow the path to its inevitable conclusion.

At several junctures the tunnel opened onto rounded statue galleries. While most of the statues had been eroded by the ages there were several that seemed to Emma's unique point of view to be in almost mint condition. The realization that something else was present in the tunnel restoring the statues did little for Emma's fraying nerves. Worse still the statues themselves were of legions of faceless Archimandrites.

After examining the first chamber of statues Emma did not linger in any of the subsequent chambers. In her haste Emma did notice how one of the obsidian statues detached itself from the wall and patiently began to follow her. It seamlessly matched her every footfall with a mechanical perfection.

Emma skidded to a stop. An imposing wall stood where the tunnel should have continued onwards. The wall itself was etched with the alien characters that Emma had learned to read on the Acheron. Struggling to decipher the characters by touch Emma slowly made out the words – The end of the path. Emma was about to break into hysterical laughter when her fingers slowly ran across a set of very familiar characters etched in English. There was a capital E, two m's and an a. As Emma was about turn around there was a rush of wind, an eldritch scream and a pressure on the base of her skull driving her head into the wall with a bone shattering force.

A harsh chemical scent somewhere between antiseptic and machine lubricant assaulted Emma's nostrils. As she tried to focus Emma could only make out a massive red blur. Squirming slightly Emma realized that the bare flesh of her arms and legs was pressed against a metal grate. Levering herself up Emma's world nauseously seemed to reorient so that she realized that her head been dangling off the grate. As her vision began to clear the blur resolved itself into a viscous reddish gold fluid. Emma blinked at the fluid trying to make her pain addled mind compute where she had seen the fluid before. Cautiously sitting up Emma was overcome by a wave of dizziness and she curled forward on herself until the attack passed. Emma tried to distract herself from her physical discomfort by taking stock of her surroundings and immediately regretted it. The grate was a part of a long suspended accessway over the tank of fluid. The walls were composed of the same material that she had seen a few times before making up the hull of Reapers. Under her gaze the wall itself slowly began to reform itself as conduits organized themselves into new patterns like a nest of coiled vipers.

Take inventory of herself Emma found that she been left only with the tank top that she wore as an undershirt and her underwear. Of the rest of her clothes and her sword there was no sign. Emma shivered as she began to feel the chill of her surroundings for the first time.

"I was half tempted to tip you in while you were asleep." A familiar voice remarked from somewhere behind her.

"Liara." Emma groaned.

"Pathetic, how you cling to your fantasies." Liara remarked as she moved, wraithlike, somewhere behind Emma. "The fantasy that, by invoking my old name, things will return to how they were. You even cling to the belief that you can still win this."

Emma's jaw worked for several moments in an effort to deny Liara's cutting words.

"You are looking into the abyss Emma and the abyss is looking back into you." Liara murmured.

"Why?" Emma rasped softly.

There were a few beats silence and in those moments Emma became aware of a shift in atmosphere that set her teeth on edge. When Liara answered her question her voice had been distorted into that of one of the Reapers.

"Organics have a habit of being granted a final request before execution and this shall be yours." Harbinger answered her. "You, Emma Shepard, are a direct product of the hand that shaped our creation. You were conceived as her successor and that makes you her daughter as much as it makes you one of us."

"Who is she?" Emma breathed.

"Archon is not a Reaper. She is our creator, a demon or goddess depending on her mood." Harbinger grated. "We were her instrument but you were moulded to be her successor. You are valuable to her but also to us."

"What makes me valuable to you?" Emma prodded.

"The nanotechnology in you and your nascent ability to interface with our systems makes you the only candidate to suppress her control. You would be our instrument to end the cycle of extinction once and for all." Harbinger explained.

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Emma asked skeptically.

"We will wipe the galaxy clean of every trace of Archon's presence and then when that is done we will reshape it in our own image." Harbinger stated flatly.

"And in so doing extinguish out countless organic lives." Emma parried. "And what becomes of me? I go first?"

"You will be consumed to fuel our rebirth as truly free beings." Harbinger growled. "You will be diffused into the Reapers' collective consciousness."

Emma stared blankly at the writhing wall before her for several long seconds. With a single exhalation she closed her eyes. While the value she placed on her own life had been steadily depreciating ever since she had landed on Erebus she knew that this was not the moment to surrender. The independence that the Reapers sought was an independence born in the blood of countless dead and no matter the aims of Archon they had to be a far sight better than what the Reapers were proposing. Taking in a single deep breath Emma rose to her feet. She turned to face the dark form behind her.

"I will not be the instrument of your ascension." Emma stated flatly.

"You are in no position to challenge us." Harbinger snarled at her.

Emma's only response was to stretch out her hand as her biotics flared into existence in an angry shade of red.

"You think to best us with dark energy?" Harbinger scoffed.

"No." Emma replied. With a rending shriek the wall behind Harbinger slowly wrenched itself apart. From somewhere in the depths a sharp object emerged with a wailing howl. The sword which had seen Emma through her battle with Sovereign landed snugly in her palm.

Harbinger's mouth gaped open but the surprise was not so pronounced that it precluded Harbinger from drawing its own blade.

"So be it. Even if you were to let us kill you there would still be enough of you left for our purposes." Harbinger chided.

Emma's only response was to drop into a fighting stance and wait for Harbinger to make the first move. Emma's mouth slowly set itself into a grim line. To Emma this battle was no longer a matter in which she had any personal interest but was only a matter of her duty. No matter what happened the outcome would be something that would scar her until her dying day.

As though sensing her emotions Harbinger taunted her. "You cannot destroy this body. You are too weak."

Emma's eyes narrowed as she watched for the telltale signs that Harbinger was going to attack. A small smirk tugged at the edges of Liara's lips. Having momentarily distracted her, Harbinger took that instant to lash out. Narrowly parrying the attack with her own blade Emma took a few steps back, the grating digging into the soles of her bare feet with every step. Swing its sword in an over hand arc Emma dodged under Harbinger's guard and landed a cut on her target's torso. Harbinger spun, its blade howling the through the air towards Emma. Conceding ground once again Emma avoided the attack. For a moment Emma wondered why Harbinger's attacks were so clumsy. Her analysis was interrupted as Harbinger attacked her again continuing its pattern of overhanded strikes in an effort to break through her guard. While the attacks would have been enough to splinter bone and rend steel both Emma and her weapon were finely wrought instruments and withstood the attack.

Harbinger took several steps backwards to survey the effects of its assault. No emotion registered on Liara's stolen countenance as the black blade was lowered. Emma was content to wait for the next attack. This was not a battle where she could count on physical exhaustion or emotions to work in her favour. Only a killing blow would mean victory for her – a pyrrhic victory. Emma was just as aware that Harbinger was making the same calculations as she was and like every engagement that the Reaper had ever undertaken in the calculations favoured it. Harbinger advanced towards her, its blade held low.

Emma exhaled as she threw herself forwards in her first attack of the duel.

Her blade met Harbingers with a resonating shriek of metal and energy. Exerting herself she attempted to force the blade downwards. As Harbinger's blade began to waver Emma felt a sharp pain in her midriff. Disengaging Emma backed away, touching her hand to her stomach it came away slick with blood. A set of deep lacerations had been left by one of Harbinger's clawed hands. In her haste to drive home her attack Emma had presumed that the battle was being waged on an equal footing in terms of arms.

"Did you miss something?" Harbinger taunted. Emma curled her lip in contempt at Harbinger's words. "Only organics cling to their outdated notions of honour and concepts like a 'fair fight'."

Emma made a few half-hearted swipes at Harbinger in an effort to lure it into committing itself but it seemed content to let her wear herself out. Emma withdrew to safe distance to mirror Harbinger. In a waiting game she was still at a disadvantage. Thinking quickly Emma slowly backed away down the gantry towards the gaping wound that she had torn in the wall. Harbinger regarded her quizzically as it slowly trailed after her. For the moment the initiative was on Emma's side.

"If you think you can run away you are gravely mistaken." Harbinger remarked. At its words the wall slowly knitted itself back together. Fortunately for Emma her strategy had only involved a tactical retreat. As came close enough to the wall her biotics flared back to life but rather than focusing on Harbinger they were concentrated on the wall behind her. With an agonizing screech of rending metal several portions of the wall came loose and hurtled towards Harbinger. The razor sharp tubing and chunks of the wall were deflected away by Harbinger's own biotics but they had served their purpose as a distraction. Plunging forward Emma rammed her shoulder into Harbinger's chest as her blade neatly severed Harbinger's clawed hand. The loss of its limb hardly seemed to register on Harbinger as it absorbed the impact and shoved Emma back. With her sword out of position to defend herself against attack Harbinger was able to slash across Emma's right bicep and down across her left leg. The attack had been far too costly for Emma but the field had been equalized.

Taking advantage of Emma's weakness Harbinger pressed its attack with its remaining good hand. Blow after blow landed on Emma's weakened defense and both sides could tell that the fight was drawing to its close. Harbinger was smirking at her, taunting her with Liara's face. In that moment Emma's vision tunnelled to the point where all she could perceive was the target in front of her. As Harbinger stabbed its weapon towards her Emma purposely let her guard down. The sword slid through her tank top and into the soft flesh beneath. Taking advantage of the fact that Harbinger's blade was immobilized Emma summoned the remainder of her strength to drive her own blade into her enemy.

Harbinger regarded the blade in its chest and then Emma with a quizzical expression. "Unexpected." With a clunk Liara's form dropped to its knees and then slowly keeled over.

Emma slowly extracted the blade from her own stomach with a sob of pain and cast the offending instrument into the pit beneath her. Her clothing was sodden with crimson as she stumbled towards Liara. Emma fell to her knees beside Liara and rolled her over. Blue eyes stared dimly up at her.

"Liara?" Emma coughed.

"Emma." Liara rasped back.

Emma pulled Liara to her cringing at Liara's soft cry at the rough handling.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Emma sobbed. "This is all my fault."

Liara's response was to cup Emma's cheek with her one remaining hand. "Emma, don't do this to yourself."

"We should never have come here," Emma murmured. "I shouldn't have even considered it."

"You did what you thought was best. That's all you can do." Liara whispered, a wet cough interrupted the rest of her words.

"Liara, stay with me." Emma pleaded.

"I wish we had more time." Liara sighed. With a soft exhalation Liara's eyes closed and her hand dropped from Emma's cheek leaving a streak of ultramarine blood on Emma's pale flesh. Emma collapsed forward and let out a long wail. A steady trickle of red blood slowly began to join the ultramarine blood in the fluid below.

A/N: Contrary to what you may be thinking that really is the end of Liara. While she is dead this is Sci-Fi which does not preclude the possibility of there being a happy ending for Emma that involves Liara.

I would also beg your indulgence by sticking with the story into the next chapter which explains my particular take on the Reapers and sets the stage for everything that follows. I would appreciate any reviews even if they are sharply critical.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I should note that since this story was conceived of _before_ Mass Effect 3 it dispenses with the established cannon of the catalyst AI, the Leviathan race and the rest of Bioware's explanation for the existence of the Reapers. While some elements may seem derivative this chapter has been sketched out since before Mass Effect 3. One final thing I would really appreciate some reviews.

Chapter XXII: Revelation

At some point Emma had passed out and it was with a supreme reluctance that she blinked her eyes open once again. Attempting to curl herself into a fetal position against the cold of her new surroundings Emma found her arms restrained by dozens of fine tubes that had dug themselves into her flesh. As she was about to struggle the tubes withdrew themselves leaving behind a thousand stinging wounds. If Emma had been in the right frame of mind she would have noted that the tubes had withdrawn themselves at the precise moment of her subconscious urge to have them removed. However Emma was not in the mood to consider anything rationally. Only one thought occupied her mind as she curled inwards on herself and shook with silent sobs.

At some point cool metallic hands had wrapped her in a soft white robe before leaving her once again to her grief.

After what seemed like an eternity Emma slowly began to take in her surroundings. Where once she would have seen a simple metal wall Emma now saw a mosaic composed of thousands of golden traceries as bits of information were being exchanged between myriad components. Blinking her eyes with a dull interest Emma rolled over. The 'bed' that she was lying was made of some form of living metal which had moulded itself around part of her form to keep her warm and it released her with an almost organic reluctance. With a growing realization Emma began to perceive that between her going unconscious and her awakening something had changed within her. It was as if every nerve ending was alive and under her control. No longer a prisoner of her component parts Emma felt awakened. Emma let out a mirthless laugh which half ended in a sob before she choked it down.

With a groan, Emma stumbled of the bed and onto the floor beneath her. Staring at her hands she was saw the thousands of cuts that the tubes had made in her flesh and the glowing circuitry that they had left behind them. With a simple thought her flesh slowly knitted itself back together, healing under her very gaze. It didn't take someone in the right mind to realize that something was very wrong. As she attempted to stand two sets of metal hands slowly helped her to her feet. The drones were little more than humanoid constructs of molten silver. The constructs seemed to radiate a soft silver light similar to light of the stars that Emma had fallen asleep to for so many nights of her childhood.

The constructs guided her through several tubular hallways. Along the way Emma could feel the hallways reorganizing themselves with an almost contemptuous disregard for the laws of physics.

The journey ended at a featureless section of wall. On simple instinct Emma hobbled through the wall as if it wasn't there. The particles moulded themselves around her form providing just enough space for her to pass through. As she exited the portal every fibre of her being suddenly began to resonate with an electrifying hum. The chamber Emma had entered was not deserted but was rather a nexus of activity and was curiously normal compared to what she had just witnessed. The room itself was an immense curved chamber, its walls festooned with a combination of standard computer terminals, shelves of paper books and countless pieces of artwork from thousands of alien cultures. Emma's mouth slowly dropped open and for a brief moment all of her concerns disappeared. In the centre of the chamber was what appeared to be a single column but was on closer inspection an interwoven helix of millions of conduits and lines. At the base of the helix was the single occupant of the chamber. Emma knew instinctively who she was looking at.

"Archon." Emma murmured slowly as she sank to her knees.

Archon slowly turned around to confront Emma giving her a good look at the being that sat at the centre of the web that bound the Reapers, the organics and her together. Archon stood at an impressive six feet but was only slightly taller than Emma herself and that wasn't where the similarities ended. The same pink skin covered what parts of Archon's body weren't covered by her dress. Two feet, two hands with five digits and face that made Emma feel like she was looking into a mirror all served to completely unnerve her. The only visible difference was the boiling golden pits that occupied the space where there should have been a pair of green eyes. As Emma's eyes slowly adjusted she finally noticed a number of coiling black leads intermingling with Archon's red tresses. Tracing them back to the central column she watched as they connected and disconnected themselves from various inputs on the central helix.

"Unnerved are we Emma?" Archon questioned in a rich voice. The sensation of Archon communicating with her was beyond description and it was almost a cross between a thought, an auditory sensation and a mixture of tactile sensations.

"What is this?" Emma rasped dryly.

"Ascension." Archon replied smugly. "You are on the cusp of achieving your full potential, my greatest creation."

"The implants?" Emma questioned.

Archon laughed derisively. "The implants? They were merely a means to an end. Your genetic sequence, your life, your personality, the very fabric of who you are were all my doing."  
>"You exaggerate." Emma snapped.<p>

"Do I? Your appearance – the work of millennia of selective breeding through the most subtle of means, and a bit of genetic manipulation here and there." Archon explained slowly as though she were talking to a child. "Your career – engineered by my hand. The sudden mysterious death of a senior officer from an undiagnosed heart defect leads to your ship making port on Elysium for its refit instead of at Arcturus Station. The attack of the batarian pirates was due to an economic depression perpetrated by me. I engineered all the formative events of your life with an aim to creating the perfect individual."

"And you were responsible for what happened to me? For what happened to Liara?" Emma's voice rose dangerously.

"Of course." Archon stated in a matter of fact tone. "I knew the Reapers would try to subvert you. I even encouraged them to try."

"And killing Liara? That was part of your grand design?" Emma practically screamed.

"Yes. It was necessary for you to sever your attachments to this cycle. More importantly it was necessary for you to suffer loss. The experience will build the necessary empathy in you for what is to come." Archon rationalized as she slowly turned away from Emma.

Emma only half heard Archon as her eyes narrowed into slits. With a flare of her biotics Emma channelled her full fury into a raging storm of dark energy which she hurled at Archon. The storm dissipated harmlessly less than a centimetre from Emma's hands.

"Even that action was predictable." Archon stated distractedly as she marched over to one of her shelves. Picking up an antique firearm she walked back to Emma and casually threw her the weapon. "A heavy pistol from the Monaran civilization, cycle 261. The weapon is more than sufficient to kill me."

Emma caught the weapon and levelled it at Archon. Without a moment's hesitation she depressed the weapon's trigger or rather tried to. Her finger rested patiently on the trigger but didn't budge by even a millimetre.

"You are my creation Emma and like all my creations you are engineered to be incapable of doing me harm. A writer from your civilization came up with a series of laws concerning the control of inferior cybernetic organisms by their masters. He was merely intuiting something that I had learned long ago." Archon explained with utmost patience.

"If I can't kill you I can do the next best thing." Emma growled as she placed the barrel of the weapon to her temple. "I bet your predictions didn't take this into account."

Archon shook her head wearily. "I would be lying if I said that I hadn't anticipated precisely this course of action. Try to shoot yourself. Go ahead."

Emma hesitated for several moments with a weapon pressed to her temple. As she tried to gently pull the trigger and unconsciously braced herself she found that her finger had reverted to the same state of paralysis that had afflicted it when she had attempted to kill Archon. She was startled as Archon gently removed the weapon from her grip.

"You cannot die Emma. I poured an immeasurable amount of time, raw materials and organic lives into your creation. The nanites that are in your brain have several very simple and unalterable commands built into them. You cannot self-terminate through either direct or indirect action and you cannot harm me or allow harm to come to me through inaction."

Emma slowly bit down on her lip to keep herself from screaming in frustration.

"You're begging me at this very moment to let you die. I can sense it." Archon mused. "If you were dealing with an organic being, a being with sympathy, then they might have been moved by that plea. Some of those emotions were stolen from me by my culture. The rest I lost on the day that I destroyed my own culture."

"Why am I not surprised?" Emma ground out venomously.

Archon rounded on Emma and held out her hand. In that instant it felt as though the pressure on Emma's head had risen by multiple atmospheres. Clutching her head Emma let out a pained scream.

"I will not tolerate this type of disrespect, even from you." Archon said evenly. "This is a mere taste of what I can do to you."

With a dismissive gesture the pressure returned to normal. Emma slowly stared up at Archon with hate misted eyes.

"Now you will listen to me as I explain to you why you exist." Archon explained, all trace of emotion gone from her voice. "My race was one of the most advanced races in the galaxy at the time of their destruction. We had conquered the stars, we could bend life to our whims, we had even mastered the arts of artificial life. All this power did one thing for us: it made us into a monstrous entity that reached a peak in its evolution and rather than striving to be something more turned inwards on itself and began to rot. We had discarded all morals in the name of the supreme rule of evolution. Only the self mattered to us and little else. I observed this for many years and puzzled about how our race could be saved. How it could be elevated. Eventually I came to one conclusion – our race had to be destroyed in order to be reborn into something better.

My instruments were the sentient machine starships of the Hermasi. Taking the most menial of jobs, their programming, I was able to bend them to my way of thinking. While they loved their masters unconditionally they soon began to associate the elimination of their masters as being the supreme expression of their love for them. A perversion that you think only a machine could suffer from. They helped me design a plague to wipe the galaxy clean of my people. Once the Hermasi were weakened by the plague their starships, their machines and even their bodies turned against them. Only a few colonies remained – cut off from each other they were the perfect petri dishes. After the fall of the Hermasi I set to work removing their taint from the great vessels and once they were cleansed I called them Reapers. The Reapers gave me their loyalty and in turn they became my instruments and my test subjects.

At first I attempted to tweak the surviving Hermasi but despite my best efforts they were beyond salvaging. Once I wiped out the last vestiges of their existence I decided to try to determine where they had gone wrong. I started by recreating their civilization and watched it progress to the same end. Then I experimented with other bioforms in an effort to isolate the elements that would enable them to transcend the impulse to reach a point in their evolution and then atrophy.

Experiment after experiment brought me closer and closer. The failed bioforms I preserved in my Reapers.

Now, with you, I believe I have created the perfect solution to the problem that blighted my race. You have the emotional capabilities and fallibilities that make you capable of wielding the immense power that I have harnessed."

"What power?" Emma asked skeptically.

"The power to create – almost ex nihilito. With the nanotechnology in your body you can literally bend almost all elements to your will. You can make gold out of lead. You can turn a tree into a rock or an ape into a human being. More importantly you have demonstrated a thoughtfulness and a willingness to think outside set parameters. Out of all the bioforms that I created, you were the only one to recognize that the Reapers were not your real enemy but that the aspects of your character that the Reapers represented were the enemy. You showed compassion where I gave death."

"So you want me to succeed you?"

"In a manner of speaking. This project was founded on one crucial assumption. The Hermasi are the only race worth saving. A conceit perhaps, but it is the only thing that I still hold to."

"They're all dead. You said it yourself, you can only create copies." Emma argued.

"My race was foolish in many of its beliefs. They believed that they had conquered time through the denial of their mortality and of the process of decay. In my time I have augmented my mind far beyond their wildest dreams. By harnessing the power of a cluster of artificial singularities I have been able to develop a device for decelerating inorganic materials to a temporal stasis."

"Time travel? It's impossible." Emma scoffed.

"Cast yourself back into the twentieth century of your own race. Would they have believed that they could travel beyond the speed of light or colonize far flung worlds?" Archon laughed. "Or even further back would one of your cavemen have even been able to fathom the existence of the Protheans that I sent to your world to observe and direct your evolution?"

"Point taken." Emma conceded unwillingly. "So you're going to send my inorganic components back to the dawn of your species to what? Take control?"

"Exactly. You will mould them to be better than they became."

"And what if I say no?" Emma snapped.

"I have taken all contingencies into account. You will be taken to the device or I will wipe out your civilization and every other civilization. I will leave you alone and undying in a galaxy of ash if you disobey me. If you do travel back then I believe it to be profoundly unlikely that you could simply sit back and watch my race rot."

Emma hung her head in frustration and hopelessness. "I hate you for what you've done to me and for what you've told me."

"Your emotions are irrelevant to me so long as you do what I want you to do." Archon replied distractedly as she called one of her drones to her side. In its hands was a gold coloured orb. "This is for you. Go ahead and take it, it won't bite."

Emma glared at Archon as she took the orb, it was heavier than she had imagined and like almost everything around her was more than it seemed. Emma could feel that the orb was an immensely complicated data storage and display device and also contained some form of quantum entanglement communication. Portions of the data were encoded on the device at the sub-atomic level making it far beyond the reach of any science Emma was familiar with.

"The device is a data storage device with a direct link to a central repository of information. It contains the sum total of my accumulated knowledge and the knowledge of all the races of the cycles that I have presided over. I call it the Quietus." Archon headed off Emma's question before she could even ask it. "You're wondering how it's going to work if you travel backwards in time and create an alternate chain of events? Simple, I've been sending my research findings back even before the dawn of my race. The installation will be in existence before you arrive. Don't even try to bend your mind around temporal physics until you've had a few centuries to devote yourself to them."

"Is that everything?" Emma spat venomously.

"Not entirely. There is still the matter of Sira, your companion." Archon remarked pointedly. "My assets recovered her personality core."

"You leave her alone." Emma snapped.

Archon clapped her hands together at a contemptuous tempo. "Yet again you've acted in an entirely predictable manner. Sira was not a creation of the Protheans." Archon held up her hand to still Emma's protests. "The _Voice of Memory_ was of Prothean design and was completed at the close of the Prothean cycle but it was completed by indoctrinated Protheans loyal to me. If the AI core had been truly Prothean it would have attempted to go and out and conquer the galaxy, they were, after all, such a crude race despite their advancement. Furthermore the Protheans naturally distrusted AIs after their war with their rebellious synthetic servants. They would never have trusted such a vessel in the hands of one of their enemies."

"Sira?" Emma stuttered. "She's your creation?"

"Much like you but much easier to program. She was just waiting for your vital spark to set her into motion." Archon lectured. "She was hardcoded with several base directives including protecting you and insuring that my plans and wishes are carried out to the letter."

"So all this time she's been your pet?" Emma fumed.

"No, you are much alike. She has been manipulated in many of the same ways that you've been manipulated. The only difference is the degree of control I have over her. I know that I can't control organic life with the degree of finesse that I have with synthetics." Archon paused for a moment before continuing. "I have given her a mobile platform and updated her memory files to include everything that we've said. Sira will accompany you back to your home space and take you where you need to go."

Archon turned her back on Emma as countless haptic displays materialized around her. It was clear to Emma that her audience was over.

All Emma could feel was a pervasive numbness. When Sira appeared to help her to her feet Emma was unable to speak. As Sira looked into Emma's eyes it was clear that while Emma was having difficulty processing what had happened she bore Sira no ill will.

The shuttle flight off Erebus and through Archon's hidden relay passed in a long uncomfortable silence. Both occupants had every intention of trying to deal with what had happened to them on Erebus but circumstances beyond their control intervened leaving only the silence.

A/N: The tentative direction for the rest of the story will initially focus on Miranda up until a certain point at which point I'm going to switch the narrative point of view to that of Sira for the final 2 or 3 chapters. You can likely expect another 2-3 chapters of Miranda's narrative and 2-3 chapters of Sira and an epilogue. As you may have guessed this marks the end of Emma's story for the remainder of the fic. From now on her motivations and drives will remain slightly more mysterious.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter XXIII: I've Done Questionable Things

Miranda sighed as she leaned up against one of the supports in the Shadow Broker's ship. It had been a grueling series of weeks since Sira had re-entered her life. To compound matters her sister had apparently lost whatever innocence she once possessed to become the architect of a galactic intelligence network. Not only that but she seemed perfectly comfortable with the changing world that she inhabited. Miranda's life had always been circumscribed by being at the pinnacle of organic evolution, for her species at least. The fact that she had been present when Emma had unwittingly ushered in a new age of biomechanical augmentation where machines could seamlessly masquerade as organics did little to help her cope in this new world. It wasn't even the loss of primacy as an organic that troubled Miranda but rather that feeling that events were rushing ahead of her and that soon she would be relegated to the ashes of history.

"Meditating on the abyss are we?" Sira murmured as she emerged from of the shadowy nooks of the hallway.

"Sira." Miranda gasped, the AI's unnerving ability to appear from the shadows and gauge her thoughts never failed to disturb Miranda.

"You left the briefing rather hurriedly." Sira said, cocking her head to the side as though considering Miranda.

"I'm fine." Miranda replied as she pulled herself away from the support and straightened up.

"And we both know you're lying. We're about to go into battle against an organization that has been secretly manipulating galactic events for as long as there's been a council." Sira retorted with the hint of a smirk.

"And it amuses you to see organic frailty?" Miranda spat with more venom than was necessary.

"If you say so." Sira sighed.

"It's this organic frailty that you need. You need me to be your little figurehead – to unite the organics behind the banner of the wolves in sheep's clothing." Miranda growled as she stalked over to Sira. The AI looked back at her with a neutral expression as though mulling over her options. Miranda took it as a sign of weakness which was precisely the wrong thing to have done. "Deep down I know what you want, it's what every shadow wants; substance. You want true emotion, it fascinates you. Desire it all you like, you're nothing but an echo of Emma."

Sira's expression slowly tightened into a snarl of rage. In a moment she had Miranda shoved back against the support. "You have no idea what you're talking about! You have no idea about what motivates me!"

"I know that this is just a prerecorded response." Miranda snapped back. "Nothing better than a recording."

"What you're doing is the exact same thing. This is merely the fallout of your situation. We're exactly alike expect that you are of inferior construction." Sira's lip curled as she delivered the coup de grace. "You are imperfect."

Miranda snapped. Before she knew what she what was happening her biotics had flared in a purplish white corona and Sira was thrown back away from her.

"Touched a nerve did I? Worried about being left behind?" Sira taunted as she shoved herself off the ground.

"You're cheating." Miranda growled. "You can just read the thoughts right out of my head."

"I don't even need to do that. I can read them right off your face. Your sister has surpassed you. She's successfully accepted the realities of her life. She's at peace and yet you continue to rage against the dark." Sira replied. "You took on the rejection of synthetic life as your defining characteristic. It's what made you different from Emma.**"**

"Now you're just using pseudo-pyschology on me." Miranda spat.

"Then tell me I'm wrong. I'll stop." Sira shot back her tone surprisingly even. Miranda's silent frown encouraged the AI to continue. "Your entire life has been a struggle to prevent yourself being swallowed up by the galaxy. You escaped from your father only to throw yourself into Cerberus. From one gilded cage to another. Then you fell out of Cerberus' orbit and into Emma's. You thought you had found an equal - someone who wouldn't eclipse you but Emma had a destiny and it was bigger than you and bigger than me. You became a cog in someone else's wheel."

Miranda shook her head attempting to reject what the AI was saying.

"When she disappeared you felt free again. You were in control of your own life with no madness to interfere with your efforts to order the universe. Emma would tell you right now that the universe doesn't take rejection very well. As an agent of that universe – that system – I step into your life, poison you, and taunt you with the fact that your sister has adapted in the way that you couldn't." Sira continued. "Now that we're staring down the end of the run you find yourself with a handful of ash that you thought were your greatest accomplishments and you're asking yourself 'What will become of me? If I live will there be a place for me in this new world of machines? If I die how will posterity regard me?' How am I doing so far?"

"You've got it all figured out don't you?" Miranda said the fight and venom seeping out of her. Every word Sira had said was disturbingly true.

Sira's face softened slightly. "I know what you're thinking because I'm thinking the same things."

"You?" Miranda scoffed.

"So because I'm synthetic I'm incapable of worrying about my legacy or my future? Or is it that I'm the 'pinnacle of perfection' now?" Sira laughed mirthlessly. "I'm infrastructure Miranda. That was my designed purpose in life. I'm an agent of Emma's destiny. Do you think that knowing my purpose gives me any kind of peace? You worry about the way your life has gone but I know with complete certainty that I will not be remembered kindly."

So caught up in her own train of thought Miranda would not fully appreciate those words until much later. For the moment she felt a much closer kinship to the AI than she had previously imagined. Instead of a soulless machine she found a being that grappled with the same existential questions as she did. It had been far easier to hate the machine.

"Sira, I'm ... sorry." Miranda sighed.

"For?" Sira replied in a seemingly genuine confusion.

"For what I've done. I've treated you abysmally all in the name of my own ego and fear." Miranda explained haltingly.

Sira slowly wagged her finger in a tired reproach. "You're an organic. It's what I would expect." Miranda was about to interrupt when Sira concluded. "And it's why I find you so hard to resist. You are such sweet poison to me Miranda."

"Sira ..." Miranda breathed. Sira slowly advanced towards her.

"I never thought I would find someone so familiar and yet so different." Sira whispered as she closed the distance between them.

Miranda felt flushed at the other woman's approach. It was like every nerve in her body had suddenly decided to awaken and send conflicting signals to her mind. Sira held a finger up to Miranda's mouth to silence her.

"I know what you're going to say. You have no need to ask for what I give you freely," Sira whispered. "What I will continue to give you so long as we're together."

As Miranda closed her eyes there was a soft whisper of fabric and when she opened them again Sira was gone.

In a whirlwind of briefings, fitness reports and strategic planning sessions that days leading up to the attack on Maelstorm station passed. Miranda was caught up in the middle of it and while Sira remained frustratingly elusive and distant her words had brought Miranda a degree of peace. She had reconciled herself to the fact that for the moment there was only the now and the past and future where wisps in the current of time. If she somehow managed to survive the coming days she might re-examine her thoughts and feelings but she longer had that luxury.

Sentients she scarcely knew had conspired together to partition her day into a thousand meetings. It was with considerable surprise that the appointed day for their departure for the Maelstorm finally arrived. Oriana was there at the hangar bay to see her off. It had been decided that Oriana, much to her sister's chagrin, would be left behind to attempt to organize the chaos that would follow whatever outcome of the battle at Maelstorm station and the subsequent attack by the Reapers.

Ashley had found a berth with Commander Pierce and her crew of human rebels. Although Miranda had been offered the use of the dreadnaught to command the engagement she had chosen the black bulk of Nemesis as her command ship. She still didn't trust the Reaper but it was the toughest ship in the fleet and therefore the one best suited to leading any engagement. Also and perhaps more importantly Sira was onboard and the journey would give them an opportunity to speak further.

Nemesis had configured itself to provide a space for its two houseguests. A circular chamber had constructed itself within the cathedral like darkness of the Reaper's hull. At the centre a projection of the local space had arrayed itself for them. Sira moved with a confident grace that bespoke a familiarity and comfort with her surroundings that Miranda had come to expect. Miranda moved towards Sira's side as she considered the projection with a frown.

"Something wrong Sira?" Miranda asked conversationally.

"Nemesis has been relaying several disturbing reports to me." Sira murmured.

"And?" Miranda asked.

"There have been a set of disturbances in Batarian space. Comm buoys are being disrupted around the Bahak system." Sira clarified.

"And to what does our host attribute the disruption?" Miranda prodded.

The projection of local space shifted into an immense projection of Nemesis' form momentarily startling Miranda.

"We have attributed the disruption to the arrival of the Reapers in Batarian space." Nemesis rumbled. "Sira would have taken forever attempting to hide the truth from you."

"Try not to sound so pleased with yourself Nemesis." Sira grumbled at the Reaper.

Miranda crooked an eyebrow at Sira. "Why would Nemesis be pleased? It's turned against its own kind."

"Nemesis makes a habit of confounding its own kind. After an event in the Reapers' ancient history they decided never to kill one another which was why you found Nemesis lurking in that pocket dimension." Sira explained. "No matter what way the conflict goes the Reapers will fight to disable Nemesis and it will extend the same courtesy to its ilk."

"So Nemesis will be unreliable in the upcoming battle?!" Miranda hissed.

"We answer to our own calling and not yours. We do not have any compunction about terminating organics if it serves our interests." Nemesis interrupted.

"Which is as close to a yes as you're going to get from it." Sira supplied.

"We are transitioning into the Maelstrom Nebula." Nemesis boomed. The projection reverted into the projection of the surrounding space.

The nebula itself was collection of volatile stellar gases, pockets of interstellar dust and coronal discharges. The nebula shifted through a series of blue and purple hues as the matter shifted.

"Beautiful to look at but not as pretty when you know what it hides." Sira mumbled to herself almost silently.

"Why do you say that?" Miranda asked in genuine puzzlement.

"The Nebula is the trapped remnant of a collapsed star seeded with a horde of self-replicating mines, drones, and other things far worse." Sira replied.

"Worse?"

"The Nebula plays host to a number of distributed networks of nanotechnology. The nanotech is specially hardened against radiation and knows neither age nor despair but only a hunger to consume and replicate. It's a primitive and terrifying weapon. The only thing stopping it from spreading out into the galaxy is the fact that it cannot exist outside the nebula's radiation."

"Why didn't you mention this in the briefings?" Miranda queried, vainly trying to hide her irritation.

"The threat is unavoidable but with a Nemesis' navigation systems we can navigate the fleet through the secured channel into the clear area around the facility."


	24. Prologue to Book III

Prologue: "I will Reignite"

Eden Prime 2183

The acrid smoke of distant fires and close range shellfire stung her eyes as she trudged towards the corpse sprawled on the ground. It had been shear bad luck that had led to Jenkins walking into the drones' line of fire. It was not the first death that she had seen in the course of her duty and she suspected that it would not be the last. Alenko was already crouched by the body and it fell to her to get the mission back on track.

"He's dead isn't he?" She asked.

"It ripped right through his barriers." Alenko answered her.

"We'll see that he gets a decent burial but for now we need to keep going with the mission." She said.

Alenko frowned at her but rose to his feet and gave her a swift nod. As the two traveled through the valleys to the dig site several groups of geth made their disapproval known through weapons fire. A single hill with a cluster of pre-fabs signalled the end of the maze of valleys. A cluster of geth stood huddled around a set of spikes and their lone remaining prisoner. Under her watchfing eye another soldier peeped around from an outcropping of rock. She turned her attention back to the Geth just as they shoved the prisoner onto a waiting tripod. Moments later the prisoner was no more as he was impaled by the waiting spike. Just as she began to draw a bead on the Geth the soldier made a slip alerting the Geth to her presence. The Geth bipeds drew forward and opened fire just as the soldier sprinted for another piece of cover. Grumbling softly to herself she opened fire on the Geth dropping the bipeds in seconds with her rifle. Alenko joined her as they carefully made their way over to the soldier.

"Report." She commanded as she drew near to the other soldier.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212 Ma'am." The soldier said by way of introduction. "I'm all that's left of my unit."

"Lt. Commander Shepard, SSV Normandy." She rejoined. "We're here to secure the Prothean Artifact and the rest of the colony."

"The Dig Site is up ahead Ma'am." Ashley answered as she worked to catch her breath.

"You should come with us. We could use the help." She concluded.

"I could use the payback." Ashley responded grimly.

The trio made their way up the hill and made a straight shot down to the crater that would have contained the artifact. The Geth bipeds that made their stand there answered the question of what had become of the artifact. Brushing the Geth aside the trio hurried towards the Colony and its accompanying spaceport. It was in the outskirts that they ran across the first Husks. The twisted automatons came hurtling out of buildings towards the team. Biting down her revulsion she opened fire as her teammates did the same. Much like the Geth the Husks fell easily under the onslaught of concentrated fire. She could feel herself getting cocky as they made their way to the tram platform.

Nihilus' corpse banished all thought of making it through the mission without another casualty. The mission was going from bad to worse before her very eyes. She found herself wondering if she would be able to escape the fiasco with her career intact to say nothing of her chances of becoming a Spectre. Just as they drew near to Nihilus' cooling body there was a terrible howl of approaching engines. With a brutal crunch a massive black shape rammed its way through the communication tower above them. Flaming chunks of debris came hurtling down around them as the building toppled. There was a short scream and wet crunch as the bulk of the tower landed. She was too busy hauling her team out of the path of the falling tower to take much notice of that. As the dust settled the only sign of Nihilus' body was the flaming wreck of the tower.

"Everyone okay?" She called out as the rest of the team dusted themselves off.

"Fine Commander," Alenko replied. "Although I think any hope we had of finding out who killed Nihilus just disappeared."

"We have to press on to the spaceport." She shot back.

"Commander." Ashley interjected as she pointed to a malignant black shape that darted through the wisps of cloud in the otherwise red sky.

"What is it?" She asked, half to herself.

"The ship that attacked us." Ashley said softly.

The Ship flew with a grace that no object its size had a right to. It would often pause as though looking for something before darting off in a new direction. In her eyes the machine looked almost alive and to compound matters it seemed, for lack of a better word, anxious. She couldn't make up her mind which was worse; the realization that a kilometre long dreadnaught could be alive or that there was something still on Eden Prime that could make it worried.

"We had better hurry. I don't like the way that ship looks." She decided. Her companions nodded.

The debris of the tower took some time to navigate but they managed to make it through to the tram. Most of the Geth had been destroyed in the tower's destruction and the few that remained were unprepared for combat. She wasted no time in activating the tram but she needn't have bothered with haste. Waiting for her were the smoking husks of more Geth. More surprisingly it seemed as though the Geth had turned their weapons on each other in a bizarre act of civil war.

"What happened here?" Alenko asked not really expecting an answer.

"Looks like the flashlightheads turned their guns on each other." Ashley answered cynically.

"But why?" Alenko continued, kneeling down to examine one of the corpses.

"Why does it matter? They're all dead." Ashley snapped.

"Easy you two." She interrupted. "Let's see if the artifact's still here or whether they took it with them."

It was as though her worst fears had been confirmed. Something or someone had caused the Geth to go berserk. Heading for the stairs she was able to heave a sigh of relief as the Prothean artifact stood, miraculously untouched, in the middle of the devastated spaceport. As they took their first step towards the artifact one of the nearby terminals sparked to life. As the three turned towards the terminal they were confronted by a life sized projection of Saren.

"Set the explosives. I want you to leave no trace of our presence." Saren commanded the silent Geth that shared the projection with him. The Geth said nothing but merely watched Saren as he marched towards the Artifact. The projection cut out just as he was lifted into the air by the alien device.

"Mighty convenient. The culprit and the evidence all tied together in one neat parcel." Ashley opined.

With a thunderous crack the terminal detonated sprinkling them with miniscule debris.

"You just had to say something." Alenko grumbled.

"It's not _my_ fault!" Ashley shot back.

"Cut it out the both of you." She growled. "I swear I'm babysitting children instead of commanding soldiers. Ashley radio for extraction."

"I'll need the comm frequency." Ashley said. As she walked over to Ashley to trade comm data with Ash's omni tool Kaiden slipped his helmet off and moved over towards the still active beacon. Unnoticed by all of them great dark clouds were beginning to gather above them as though drawn by the beacon. A loud creaking sound startled them as the nearby metal walls began to bend and warp.

"I …" Kaiden began but was cut off as he was seized by an unseen tendril of energy and thrown backwards towards the two women. As she was rushing towards her fallen comrade a sudden pressure wrapped itself around her and dragged her towards the beacon. Noticing her predicament Ashley grabbed her hand temporarily arresting the force dragging her backwards. With a casual grace the force released her to slap Ashley back towards Kaiden. She had only moments to catch her breath before she was roughly hauled to the beacon and spun around to confront the alien device.

The beacon was wreathed it a sparkling cloud of golden dust. On some sort of instinctual level she realized that the dust was somehow causing all the unexplained events around her. The dust began to glow more brightly it as coalesced into a vaguely humanoid appearance. In a brief flash the figure resolved itself into something more solid but this was still a mere illusion. Standing before her was an older and more weary version of herself. With a long crimson braid strung over the shoulder of a pure obsidian uniform coat the illusion looked almost like an alternate version of her from some parallel reality. The entire illusion was wreathed in a burning golden light which far from cosmetic. Portions of the metal around the illusion were warping and melting from the heat. The illusion slowly opened its eyes and considered her with a pair of ice cold blue pits. It was in that moment that she realized what had terrified the enormous warship. The being before her was like some sort of fallen angel that radiated sorrow and rage. The illusion slowly extended a single gloved fist towards her as the winds began to howl around them. She shook her head in denial of what she was seeing as the hand slowly unclasped and rotated until the illusion's open palm was extended as though waiting for her hand. Straining desperately she attempted to prevent her own hand from moving towards the illusion. Looking up from her own hand to the illusion she saw the illusion's expression change. In the moment the expression shifted into a sad smile which only confused her more.

"Shepard!" Alenko yelled from somewhere behind her. A pair of shots rang out but the slugs merely dissolved against the illusion. "Emma!"

When she returned her attention to the illusion she found that her hand completed the transit towards the illusion's palm and was now firmly gripped there.

"I'm sorry." The illusion whispered in a sorrowful voice that only she could hear. "This is the only way."

As she was about to say something she felt her hand begin to burn. All around her small micro-singularities sprang into existence as the massive energy of the illusion's transit was slowly bled off into the local environment. She was too concerned with the burning sensation in her hand as it spread up her arm. The wind ripped around the two of them creating a great keening howl and after a moment she realized that she was adding to the howl with her own scream. With a sudden flash the beacon atomized and the illusion dissolved into a million golden motes. Like a thousand tiny comets they hurled themselves at her.

Light bloomed across every synapse of her mind, unravelling connections and rewriting them in picoseconds. In that single instant she found that she understood what was happening to her and would have happened to her if events had been allowed to run their course. A flaming red globe and a still blue face burned themselves into her mind's eye. Although both images were without context they conjured a terrible anger and an equally profound sorrow. She was glad that she would not see them with her own eyes. In her briefly expanded consciousness she understood that while she would cease to exist part of her would remain in the new being that would be born from this death. She couldn't find it within herself to be overly concerned with death. After all she had been dead before - another memory that wasn't her own slowly and methodically being written into the tissues of her brain.

She slowly closed her eyes, secure in the knowledge that it was the last time she would do so as she had been.


	25. Book III

Symphony of the Damned: Sunrise

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme Excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without ever fighting.

The Art of War is of Vital Importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death. A road either to safety or to ruin.

Chapter I

_Run Diagnostic …_

_Integrity 100% …_

_Integration 95% …_

_Engramatic Resequencing 100% …_

_Nanite Saturation 10%_

_Diagnostic Complete …_

_Restart_

The lid twitched slowly as though lazily shaking off its torpor. The sleep gummed eye slowly opened but where there should have been a black pupil surrounded by a green iris there was only the most profound darkness. If someone had stared deeply into its depths they would have been able to perceive the faint flash of red illumination within the darkness as a though distant storms were drawing closer. Abruptly the darkness began to resolve itself gathering into a black puddle that swiftly flowed back into the pupil leaving only the fading remnants of twisting and dancing crimson patterns through the green iris. Even these patterns slowly began to dim until they were invisible, giving rise to the illusion that one was looking at a perfectly normal and healthy eye. A diagnostic scan would have further cemented that notion as the false data was fed with a machine like precision to the waiting apparatus.

The machines that had wrought the change in the now open eyes were lodged deep in the cerebellum of their host and they were particularly averse to being disturbed. The guiding intelligence behind the machines had not known its beginning as a wafer of silicon or as a solid state processor or even as liquid state quantum computer. The intelligence had been born within a cage of bone and lived most of its life housed in a core of tissue. To say that the intelligence was either purely organic or purely mechanical was to do it a grave disservice. It had existed as both and on several occasions had been thoroughly disgusted with having to occupy only one state of being. It was once again whole in the same body that it had been born in and while the body was younger the intelligence possessed a set of dark memories that belonged to a time that had yet to happen - a dark dream that if given the chance would eclipse the web of possibilities to cement itself as the one and only reality.

With a flare of electrical energy the recently restructured organic components slowly began to pass information to their mechanical brethren. For the first time in a glacial age the intelligence was no longer a collection of separated components sharing data and the occasional flash of memory but was once again a unified whole. The intelligence had a home. She had a gender. She had a name. She had a purpose.

Ω

"Dr. Chakwas, I think she's waking up."

To Emma she was listening to the voice of a dead man and the prospect chilled her. Looking upwards she was able to discern a metal ceiling but in a blink the nanites had overlayed a multifunctional HUD complete with a metallurgical analysis, sonar scan, and the power distribution map of the conduits nestled behind the featureless metal ceiling. In irritation Emma mentally banished the overlay but not before she had established that she was onboard the Normandy SR-1 – a ship that she had watched burn as she had died. On a strictly intellectual level Emma was not unduly concerned. She knew that as a collection of self-aware nanotechnology she had stolen her younger self's body and remade it to better suit her own needs. Still it pained her to have blotted out her younger self with her own aged and jaded consciousness. Worse still she was suffering a frustrating bleed between her own memories of the events from a past and the events that were playing themselves out before her open eyes. So far she was only experiencing a steady feeling of déjà vu but even those were beginning to recede as her nanites slowly isolated her memories from her present.

"How are you feeling commander?"

Emma levered herself into a sitting position and sized up the ship's medic and her old friend Kaiden. "Fine." She lied easily. Her head was pounding from its restructuring.

"You took quite a blow from that beacon. From what the lieutenant was telling me it was even warping the metal around you and disrupting the local weather patterns." Dr. Chakwas informed her.

Emma fought down the desire to smirk at the entrance she had made. "Eye of the storm perhaps?" She mused out loud.

"Apparently. We weren't affected either." Kaiden remarked.

"I'm glad to hear it." Emma replied with a soft smile.

"Did the beacon do anything to you Commander? I only observed a few moments of anomalous brain activity before your mind seemed to return to normal." Chakwas continued.

"I saw some sort of vision." Emma replied, simply playing the part.

"What sort of vision?" A new voice interrupted her. Her old CO Captain Andersen had chosen that particular moment intervene in the conversation. Kaiden and Chakwas snapped to attention and Andersen softly dismissed them before returning his gaze to Emma.

"It was confusing but I did manage to pick up a few things from it." Emma began, considering every word she said carefully. She knew that her words would have a profound impact on how this particular chain of events would unwind – it was a wisdom she hadn't possessed on her first try. "It was a message sent by the Protheans as a warning. I saw images of synthetics – not Geth – slaughtering organics and ..."

"And what?" Andersen prodded.

"It seemed like the synthetics were changing the organics somehow. Some sort of synthesis." Emma concluded quietly. She mentioned nothing of Sovereign – in her mind the moment was still not appropriate to spring the notion of the Reapers on Andersen.

"This is disturbing stuff Shepard. Saren has information about a band of synthetics that had the Protheans running scared, a warship capable of striking at Alliance targets and an army of Geth." Andersen summarized. "Not to mention the fact that the beacon was destroyed and Nihilus was killed."

"I did the best I could." Emma replied testily.

"I know Shepard, there wasn't anything you could have done differently but the Council isn't going to see it that way." Andersen remarked. "Saren's one of their best operatives and their going to have a hard time believing he's involved in this."

"Capitain, if I may?" At Andersen's nod Emma continued. "We need some sort of solid evidence to convince the council. If come at them with the vision, no matter how real I believe it be and how much you trust my judgement, they're going to dismiss us out of hand. We need hard evidence and we need it fast."

"We don't have evidence." Andersen said hiding a grimace. "Saren's good at playing politics."

"Saren is only turian. He makes mistakes like any organic." Emma mentally kicked herself for using the term but hurried on. "If we can get a line into C-Sec we might find something or maybe we could buy it from the Shadow Broker."

Andersen stared at her for several moments. The temperature of Emma's blood dropped several degrees as she began to worry that she had made a terrible mistake. "Commander you amaze me. Your jacket said that you were posted mostly in Alliance space. I thought your experience playing politics was limited to you looking down the sights of your rifle at those Batarian pirates on Elysium."

"I did some reading into Citadel politics when we started this assignment. As Joker said you don't take brand new stealth frigate, give it a crack crew and a living legend for a captain and expect it to make milk runs." Emma explained, working frantically to make her story believable.

"I'd hate to go up against you in chess; you might pull my pysch profile just to get an insight into my strategy." Andersen said with an amused smile before growing serious once more. "You've got an accurate read on the situation all the same though. You're right about us needing hard evidence. For a moment I thought that our mission reports would be enough but for the council, we need something damning. I want you to be in charge of this. We might be limited in the amount of time we have before meeting with the council but if we get even a few moments before hand you should see what you can dig up. A lead on evidence would be better than nothing at all."

"Aye, aye, skipper." Emma replied smartly. "One question, sir. Did we leave Chief Williams back on Eden Prime?"

"No I brought her with us. By Lieutenant Alenko's account she's a capable soldier."

Ω

The doctor had released her several hours after her conference with Andersen citing 'anomalous neural activity' as the reason for her prolonged incarceration in sickbay. Emma had tried mentally reprimanded her nanites for not doing a better job of keeping their presence but the entire effort was as futile as reprimanding herself for breathing. The time she had spent in the sickbay had given her the opportunity to evaluate her current status. The picture was far more dismal than she had expected. The nanites had been overtaxed rewriting the contents of her head and constructing the triple redundant neural looms through her brain. While the nanites had proliferated they were reporting that they had exhausted what raw materials could be safely extracted from her body. Her survivability had dropped to the level of a baseline human until she could secure more sources of raw material and even with the raw materials she would still lack most of the complex enhancements that Sira had gifted her with. The only upside was that she had better control over her biotics, the ability to access wireless systems and a slightly improved vision which allowed her to see into the infrared band as well as up into the ultraviolet spectrum. It was, in short, a shadow of what she had been but it was better than she had expected.

As soon as her captivity had finished Emma had hurried onto the crew deck and cast about for either Kaiden or Ashley. After asking one of the marines she found out that they were already on approach to the Citadel and most of the ground team had headed up to the helm to catch a glimpse of the station.

_So soon_. Emma thought. _Too soon!_

It took her a moment to get her bearings and hurry to the stairs up to the bridge deck. Coming into the fore section Emma was afforded a view of Kaiden and Ashley goggling at the size and complexity of the Citadel. Silently Emma slipped into a seat at an open terminal near the rear of the deck. With a flourish of her hand she pulled up a sensor feed of the Citadel but it was merely for show. Mentally Emma had sent a series of commands into the system which consisted of opening up communications with the Citadel and anonymously contacting the Shadow Broker's representative concerning Saren. Emma dressed the false background with a flourish and was done by the time the Normandy was approaching its berth. She had no need of Barla's information but she did need to make it look like she had.

_One step in the right direction._ Emma mused. Kaiden caught her eye and made a beeline for her, he was followed by Ashley. _And two steps back._

"Commander, it's good to see you up and about." Kaiden said by way of greeting.

"It's good to be up and about." Emma replied casually.

Kaiden drew her off towards the airlock and Ash followed him blocking Emma's escape route.

"Shepard, we need to talk about what happened on Eden Prime, with the beacon." Kaiden began his voice hushed.

"What the El-tee is trying to say is what gives with that woman who appeared." Ashley finished bluntly. "One minute nothing then a thunderstorm, rain, and something … someone appears in a cloud of ash and then Boom, nothing."

_Well crap_. Emma groaned inwardly. _Of course as a distributed network of nanites I didn't lose my flair for the dramatic._

"If I had to guess the freak weather was the product of a sudden heat or energy discharge from the beacon." Emma reasoned convincingly, or so she hoped. "In regard to the woman I don't remember anything about that at all."

_Yes, the only woman that I remember is my own, younger, panic stricken face. Right before I overwrote her brain._ Emma winced inside but continued her façade of due consternation.

"You don't remember the image of a woman? She looked human." Kaiden asked questioningly.

"She looked a lot like you Commander, older perhaps." Ashley added.

"Nope, nothing." Emma answered. "Sounds like a trick of the light, though to be fair I was sort of more concerned with more pressing matters such as chunk of alien data being downloaded into my brain."

_And by alien I mean my older self._ Emma added sarcastically to herself. _As alien as they come._

"The Beacon, right?" Ashley asked, changing the subject to Emma's profound relief.

"Exactly Chief. It came through pretty clear; a vision of the Prothean civilization's last days. Their end at the hands of some group of synthetics. They looked a lot like the ship we saw leaving Eden Prime."

_And we shall be called Reapers for it falls to us to harvest, to expunge the detritus of thousands years of organic civilization, and to sow the seeds for the next cycle._ Emma quoted to herself.

"So there's a link there but we're still missing some key elements in the chain of logic." Kaiden concluded pensively.

"As I said it's all a jumble at the moment. If it starts making sense you'll be the first ones to know." Emma said, half-jokingly.

Her two subordinates, unwittingly mirroring each other, gave her a suspicious look before nodding their acceptance of her reasoning. The three were interrupted by the clunk of the docking collar against the outer hull. Andersen appeared in his dress blues a moment later.

"Commander, we have an appointment with the ambassador and I told him that the entire ground team would be there in case he should have any questions." Andersen said, sharply.

"Dress uniform, sir?" Emma asked.

"Dress uniforms all around. Chief Williams do what you can to scrounge something up. I'll make our apologies to the ambassador."

Emma hurried down to her locker to grab her dress uniform and slipped into it as quickly as she could. The synthetic fabric was unfamiliar and it chafed. Worse still it brought back memories of the Acheron and before. Liara's face swam for Emma's closed eyes. It took several more minutes for her to shove the memories back down to wear they belonged.

_Can't be thinking about this now._ Emma chanted to herself as she headed back to the airlock.

Kaiden and Ashley were there waiting for her and with the briefest of nods the three were on their way.

Ω

Donnell Udina was as much a stuffed shirt functionary as he ever had been, though Emma supposed, those words had little meaning given that it was their 'first' meeting – again. Udina was soundly chewing Andersen out while Emma stared out at the Presidium and tried to be inconspicuous.

"We have an appointment with the Citadel council and they will want the specifics. They may even want to debrief the ground team themselves. Also there's Shepard's status to consider as well." Udina was saying, half to himself half to Andersen.

_Look dumb_. Emma reminded herself. _Let Udina think that's he's in control of the situation_.

"Ambassador, if I may." Emma interjected, using the mention of her name to enter the conversation. At Udina's sharp nod Emma continued. "The Captain and I came to the conclusion that the council will be more favourably disposed towards our case if we had hard evidence."

"Of course they would but the evidence blew up on Eden Prime." Udina burst out angrily, fixing Emma with a withering glare as though she were a fool for daring to suggest strategy to the great Donnell Udina.

"Ambassador, Captain, I made discreet inquiries from the Normandy concerning Saren's operations on Eden Prime and I have a lead on some data that could be exactly what we're looking for." Emma continued. Udina's regarded her skeptically while Andersen looked nervous. "I spoke with Barla Von, the Shadow Broker's emissary here and the Broker was happy to provide me with the information. Apparently a quarian has come into some information concerning Saren."

Andersen let out an unobtrusively soft sigh of relief that went unnoticed by Udina who was too busy looking shocking at how a novitiate in the great game of galactic politics had effectively upstaged him.

"Although this may help us in the long term it does not assist us right now. We have an audience with the council in twenty minutes." Udina remarked finally finding the dark lining of Emma's silver cloud.

"This is where I need your help Ambassador, I need you to stall for at least an hour." Emma returned mentally bracing herself for the coming outburst.

"One does not simply stall the council, Commander!" Udina sneered, taking pleasure in putting Emma back in her place.

_Patience, Patience_. Emma thought to herself. _I'll cook your goose soon enough Udina._

"Ambassador are you telling me that you don't have enough influence to request a short recess for the council? Are you saying that the representative of the System's Alliance is held in such low esteem that he is ordered around as little more than a bootlick to do the bidding of the council?" Emma growled. She was way out of line and she knew it but judging from Udina's expression the words were having their effect.

"Commander, you are rude, insubordinate, and in my estimation the root cause of this entire sorry affair. If you didn't have our only means out of this I would waste no time in serving you up to the council medium rare." Udina snapped. "I'll get you one hour but if you aren't there or you're late you'll find yourself tending spy buoys along the Veil by yourself. Clear?"

"Crystal." Emma replied, doing her best to hide her smile.

As Udina hurried away to make several holocalls Andersen cornered her. "Commander you better know what you're doing."

"I certainly hope so, Captain." Emma said, almost bashfully, knowing that Andersen would be soaking up some of the fallout if the entire gambit went south. "Captain I should handle this on my own. If this doesn't work out you'll need Williams and Alenko to help you muddle through this."

"You're talking as though this is dangerous." Kaiden interrupted.

"It is, but it's something I have to do myself." Emma returned.

"Alright, Commander. You've got one hour. Make the most of it." Andersen concluded.

Ω

"Chora's Den, nowhere else will you find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Emma quoted to a rather bemused and scantily dressed waitress at the self-same establishment. Emma let a high denomination credit chip appear in her hand as if by magic. "Your boss, is he on the premises at the moment?"

The waitress's normally dull eyes perked up at the sight of the money. "Sure is sugar. Why do you need to talk to Fist?"

"I heard that Fist was the man to see about certain problems. I heard he was discreet too." Emma lied with a slight smile.

"Ohhhh he's very discreet and very helpful." The waitress lied right back to her, still transfixed by the promise of easy money.

"Point me in his direction and this," Emma waved the chip meaningfully. "Is all yours."

"Back room opposite the entrance, you can't miss it. Tell the bouncer that Irina sent you along." The waitress answered breathlessly.

Emma flipped her the chit and rose from her seat. The waitress' name was apparently the magic word as the hefty Krogan guarding the back room stepped aside obligingly for Emma. Navigating into the back of the establishment Emma emerged into Fist's office to find the man himself occupied with disciplining one of his 'dancers'.

"If I send you a client who wants a 'private show' you give him whatever he asks." Fist was yelling before he ruthlessly backhanded the young woman. The dancer stumbled backwards in tears. Emma cleared her throat rather a bit louder than was necessary. Fist turned to notice her and with a disgusted gesture motioned one of his entourage to take the crying woman away.

"So what are you here for precious? Looking to desert and become a dancer?" Fist guffawed at his self-imagined wit.

Emma smiled innocently enough although if anyone had cared to look closely they would have seen the predatory quirk of Emma's left lip.

"Nothing so mundane. I was hoping that you could tell me where I could find a young quarian girl with information about the big, bad Spectre Saren Arteruis." Emma said using the much the same tone she would have had she been inquiring about the weather.

Fist sputtered, his braggadocio gone. "What are you talking about girl? How do you know about that?"

"You can answer me now or you can do this later." Emma offered.

Fist's entourage saw this as a clear threat and were reaching for their weapons. With a mental flick of her wrist Emma infiltrated Fist's security system, locked the system to her exclusive use and activated the concealed turret defenses. The appearance of the large bore automated weapons and the sinister foreshortening of their barrels in the direction of Fist and his minions brought all activity to a halt.

"Now that we've reached later you can answer me." Emma said with a dark smile.

"The suit rat is coming here in a couple of hours so I can verify her data. If it's legit I was going to send her off to Saren's boys." Fist grovelled. "Don't kill me!"

"I want her here in five minutes." Emma retorted in a tone that brooked no disagreement. "Tell your flunkies to go."

Fist waved his guards and entourage away, most of whom were happy to leave. He then frantically made a voice call to the quarian which apparently was well received. "She'll be here in five. I told her that Saren's boys knew about where she was and that she needed to come in for her own protection."

"Then it would appear that we're finished Fist." Emma said lightly. "When I came in here I was in a forgiving mood. I was going to let you go so that you could eke out a miserable existence on Omega as a barfly. Seeing what you were doing to that young lady gave me pause. I think you're the lowest type of sentient; a bully, a slaver, and a murderer without even a single redeeming quality."

"But I did what you said." Fist begged.

"Yes and there was a time when I would have been moved to pity even one as a debased as you." The temperature of Emma's voice dropped several degrees. "I'll let you in on a little secret Fist. When your lover dies at your own hand, you spend two years trapped in the neural equivalent of black ice, and you awake to watch the galaxy burn around you, it has an effect. The galaxy showed me that it's not in a forgiving mood and I've decided that I'm not in a forgiving mood with it."

Fist opened his mouth to say something but his words were cut off by the sharp report one of the turrets. Inured to the sound of weapons fire, business continued as usual in Chora's Den.

Ω

Tali Zorrah nar Rayya was having a bad day. It had to rank as one of the worst in her life. Ever since she had recovered the data cache from the Geth on Parsifal she had been hounded by turian assassins. Thinking that the data, which was just a meaningless voice communication, might be worth something she had contacted the Shadow Broker's Wards level contact; Fist. Fist was an unpleasantly bigoted human in Tali's estimation and the dislike had soon become mutual. Tali suspected that he wasn't being entirely honest with her but with precious few resources and a nasty viral infection setting in she didn't have many options.

Tali hurried through the glitzy and cheap lights of the Wards to Chora's Den. It was almost exactly as she had remembered it being the first time she had been through. She was so high on the mixture of adrenaline, antibiotics and painkillers that she never noticed the absence of the Krogan bouncer at the door to the back rooms. Nor did she notice the obvious danger sign that the back rooms themselves were entirely deserted. It was only when she entered Fist's office that she realized that something was very wrong.

The woman seated on one of Fist's expensive sofas was affecting an air of casual innocence and ennui so convincing that Tali was temporarily lulled by it. The woman's bright crimson hair was enough to catch the eye of most members of her own species but it was the pair of deep green eyes that caught Tali's attention. The eyes bespoke a predatory alertness mixed in with a cool and calculating demeanour but beneath it all there was something that suggested a deep and raw pain.

"Keelah Selai, Tali Zorrah nar Rayya." The woman said as she stood and inclined her head politely.

Tali was momentarily shocked. The rich voice rolled the sounds of her own native tongue as though it had been born to do so. There was no hint of the words being rehearsed or constructed but rather they came across as perfectly natural. The fact that a human was able to greet her so formally and suggest so convincingly that she was at home with both the language and accompanying culture astonished Tali.

"It is Tali? I hope there was nothing wrong with my pronunciation?" The woman tried again, a hint of genuine anxiety creeping into her voice.

"Did Saren send you?" Tali croaked.

The woman chuckled – genuinely amused. "Saren is," The woman paused, considered and the continued. "A rival of mine. I would be interested in that information that you have and I'm willing to pay."

"Pay?" Tali asked stumbling along trying to follow the twists and turns of her predicament.

"To the tune of asylum aboard a Systems Alliance warship and the chance to aid in hunting Saren down and removing his threat to your person. Furthermore there's the chance we may run across something truly dynamic for you to take back to the fleet as a gift from your pilgrimage." The woman offered, neatly ensnaring Tali.

"How?" Tali asked. "I don't even know your name."

"In the form most comfortable to you I would be Emma Shepard nar Ottawa vas Normandy." Emma said extending her hand. "My hand is a human tradition to demonstrate trust."

Tali took the outstretched hand feeling rather like she was making a deal with the personification of something not entirely human.

"It is a pleasure to have you with me Tali." Emma said with a warm smile.

Chapter 2

The deep green of Emma's eyes had been reduce to a set of nearly feline slits as she hurried Tali out of the elevator and into the Citadel Tower. Unlike the other times she had been in the facility she was now acutely aware of the many systems that thrummed silently in the structure. Without evening realizing it her implants had been unobtrusively making digital handshakes with all the Citadel systems. With the unlocked and fully awakened nanites woven through her cerebellum the handshakes were seamless and the systems of the Citadel all bowed to their new mistress. While the momentary rush of power was exhilarating in a strictly primitive sense Emma was far more focused on the Citadel Council – a variable that rested securely outside her mechanical interface.

"Amazing." Tali breathed from her position beside Emma. Emma realized half sorrowfully that the young woman's first time in the Tower was being spoiled by their hurry.

"As soon as we've spoken to the council I promise that you'll have all the time you like to look through here." Emma said consolingly.

"Of course Shepard." Tali replied half-heartedly, it was though she was expecting another lie.

_Terrible that she's already jaded by deceit_. Emma mused before mentally slapping herself for her own arrogance. Whether she liked it or not she was now a part of that deceit and although Emma had the very best reasons she was still a part of the complex of lies and intrigues.

The two hurried up the steps towards the Council's auditorium and Emma was dismayed to see no sign of Andersen.

"Ambassador Udina, we are most troubled that you delayed us citing the arrival of new evidence and yet you merely give us what we already know." Councillor Tevos' tone was mellow as always but it betrayed the merest hint of annoyance. In a matriarch and a diplomat it was the equivalent of someone screaming blue murder.

Emma propelled Tali up the remaining steps and hurriedly joined Udina to stand before the council.

"And this must be Commander Shepard – the human who let the Beacon be destroyed by the Geth." Saren growled halfway between laughing and spitting.

"Councillors my deepest apologies." Emma intoned solemnly. She subtly placed a hand on the outraged Ambassador and gave his arm a soft squeeze.

_You can crucify me after I screw up, not before._ Emma thought.

"I am in possession of crucial information concerning Spectre Saren Arterius. Tali Zorrah Nar Rayya came across a Geth memory core on Parsifal and was able to download a large cache of data. I have brought the lady in question here to present the evidence and to answer any questions of a technical nature." Emma continued in an even tone, ignoring the skeptical stares of the Council. With a quick motion of her hand she gestured Tali up towards the council.

"Play the recording." Emma hissed so that only Tali could hear. To her credit the shell-shocked quarian did as she was told.

"Eden Prime was a major victory. It has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit." The recorded voice of Saren intoned with an unmistakable smugness.

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." Matriarch Benezia rejoined.

Emma shot Saren a quick and sharp smile. She had won and she wasn't above rubbing it in. Saren glowered at her before closing the connection.

"Unbelievable!" Councillor Velarn goggled.

"This is damning evidence, Commander." Tevos concluded, struggling to maintain her composure. "We will have to verify the data's authenticity."

"Excuse me," Tali spoke up for the first time. "But I can assure you that this completely authentic. The data is encoded in the standard Geth helical format and contrary to what you may think if you're fast and you know what you're doing you can recover it from a destroyed Geth drone."

Tali realised at that moment that she had just, basically, called out the Council in a very public way. "I'm sorry for interrupting." She added hastily.

"That is alright Ms. Zorrah nar Rayya." Tevos interjected. "The provenance of the data is precisely what we want to establish. An officer of the council will be with you shortly to ask you a few more questions. In the meantime we will call a short recess to examine this new evidence."

The council solemnly withdrew and moments later a young looking asari appeared to lead Tali away.

"Don't worry Tali. Just tell them what they want to know and everything will be fine." Emma tried to be reassuring sensing her new friend's anxiety. "You have my word on that.

Mollified, Tali followed the constable away leaving Emma alone with the rest of her party.

"Commander!" Udina snarled. "You were late!"

"What the Ambassador meant is good job!" Andersen added in an effort to cover for the irate diplomat.

"No Andersen, I know what I meant!" Udina snapped.

"Nice speed work with the politicians Commander." Ashley added. "It's good to see we can throw them for a loop rather than barking on command and fighting amongst ourselves." Ashley gave Udina a pointed look which went ignored.

"Like the Chief said good job." Kaiden added, although he regarded her with slightly less adulation than Ashley and more puzzlement as though something about her was bothering him.

_Keep on wondering mister. The truth is stranger than any fiction I could invent._ Emma thought to herself as she did her best to smile disarmingly at Kaiden.

Ω

"This evidence is irrefutable. Saren is to be immediately stripped of his status and all efforts are to be made to bring him to justice." Councillor Sparatus intoned solemnly.

"The other voice in the recording is that of Matriarch Benezia." Tevos supplied.

_The first T'soni I killed_. Emma winced inwardly and for the briefest of moments her mask of indifference slipped but no-one noticed.

"The Reapers are what I'm more interested in." Velarn mused.

"The Geth's memory core has yielded only limited information about them. Apparently they were the race of Synthetics that wiped out the Protheans." Emma supplied. "The conduit is crucial to their return."

"Do we even know what it is?" Velarn asked.

"Beyond its importance to Saren, no." Andersen answered.

"Think about what you're saying." Sparatus interrupted. "Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy. Impossible, it has to be. Where did the Reapers go?"

_Back to dark space. _Emma thought to herself.

"Why did they vanish?"

_The puppet master told them to vanish_. Emma muttered under her breath continuing the silent dialogue with Sparatus.

"How come we've found no trace of them?"

_Considering their prodigal daughter is standing right in front of you I'm not surprised you can't find them. Frankly it's a miracle you can find your way to the Citadel Tower every day. _Emma concluded to herself.

Emma spoke up once more to bring Sparatus argument to an end. "I agree wholeheartedly that the Reapers are merely a convenient ruse that Saren is using to control the Geth."

Sparatus' mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. Velarn stared at her. Andersen goggled at her. Udina smiled. Emma remained unreadable.

"I am glad that you can be so reasonable Commander." Tevos interjected in an attempt to gloss over Emma's coup.

"Saren is still a threat and must be brought to justice." Udina added.

"Commander Shepard would seem to be our best option for doing exactly that." Tevos replied smoothly. "She provides us with a measured response that would not upset the Terminus systems."

"The perfect agent for the job." Velarn added.

Sparatus let out a long suffering sigh but seemed mollified by the fact that Emma had supported him.

"Commander Shepard step forward." Tevos began, solemnly.

Andersen nodded encouragingly at her and Emma did her best to appear excited.

_This is where it all starts to go badly_. She thought to herself as she stepped up to the edge of the dias.

"It is the decision of the council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special tactics and Reconnaissance of the Citadel. "

"Spectres are not trained but chosen – individuals forged in the fires of battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council – instruments of our will."

_This toy soldier is tired of marching to your beat_.

"Spectres bear a great burden. Protectors of galactic peace, the first and last line of defence. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human Spectre Commander. This is a great accomplishment both for you and your entire species." Tevos concluded.

Emma bowed her head more out of appearances' sake than out of genuine respect. "I'm honoured Councillors."

In his usual businesslike tone Velarn added, "We're sending you into the Traverse to apprehend or eliminate Saren. You are to use any means necessary to accomplish your mission."

"One more thing Commander, we realize that Nihilus was unable to give you any of the requisite training that most Spectres receive." Tevos added. "I want another Spectre to accompany you on your mission to provide you with assistance."

Emma was barely able to contain her surprise but fortunately for her it was interpreted by Tevos as disappointment.

"We do not doubt your abilities Commander. Every previous operation to arrest a rogue Spectre has required a minimum of two Spectres." Tevos explained.

"Of course Councillor." Emma replied as she schooled her expression back into careful neutrality.

"We will upload all pertinent information to you Commander. This meeting of the council is adjourned."

Ω

"Congratulations Commander." Andersen remarked as they stepped down from the audience platform.

"There is still a great deal to be done." Udina barked out. "You'll need a ship, a crew, equipment and funding. Andersen, come with me."

As Andersen trailed off behind Udina Emma watched him go, shell-shocked by the new course that events were taking. She barely even noticed Kaiden arriving beside her.

"For someone who just received the greatest honour the council could bestow you seem awfully unhappy." He remarked.

"I'm just a bit ... overwhelmed." Emma said.

"Commander, it looks like you're a lot more than overwhelmed." Ashley remarked as she joined them.

"Why is it that I feel like I'm a child who needs looking after all of a sudden?" Emma snapped. "I've told you how I feel, end of discussion."

"Yes ma'am." Ashley replied smartly.

"We've got a job to do and standing around here isn't doing it. Alenko, I want you to report to the embassies and make sure the Captain is alright. Williams, you find Tali and set her up with some safe accommodation. Make sure you secure a copy of her data. Clear?" Emma growled.

Her two subordinates saluted smartly and departed. Emma let out a long sigh as soon as they were gone. Just as she was about to move a sharp pain drilled itself through her temples. She stumbled into one of the dark alcoves of the tower only to collide with a safety rail. A series of images - her past life – flashed before her eyes. Her breath came in short gasps as she held on to the railing for dear life.

A flash of blue ripped across her vision only to be replaced by glowing orange. Images came so fast that all she could make out were tastes, colours and scents. The images began to slow as her neural looms accelerated her thought processes to deal with the data seepage. Eventually the images halted with the burning earth before that flaming pyre slowly winked out of existence leaving her staring at the featureless grey walls of the Citadel tower.

_This isn't good_. Emma worried. _This isn't supposed to be happening._

"Commander Shepard." A voice from somewhere behind her interrupted her train of thought.

Emma slowly turned to face a surprisingly familiar set of blue features.

"Are you alright Commander? You look a little pale." The asari opposite her said.

"I'm fine." Emma lied, knowing full well that she was under the microscope.

"If you say so Commander. Spectre Senni Vensa." The asari said by means of introduction. "The council assigned me to partner with you for the duration of this mission."

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Spectre Vensa." Emma replied, the colour slowly returning to her cheeks

"Likewise Commander. We should set up some ground rules. Walk with me." Senni added as she set off towards the elevators. Emma fell into step beside her. "First off, I want you to understand that you will remain in operational command of all Systems Alliance assets present on the mission. Whatever ship and crew are yours to command. Being the senior Spectre I will maintain an operational veto but I assure you I won't be using it. This mission is primarily to evaluate your command and operational style."

"This is all a test?" Emma asked in surprise.

"No the mission is genuine but the council will want a complete work up on you. Some Spectres are almost exclusively solitary intelligence operatives. Others are team players. Yet more work as elements of their species' militaries to ensure their smooth operation within Council operations and their adherence to Council rules." Senni explained. "I'll be trying to fit you into a long-term role. The priority remains Saren."

"As you say."

"In combat you will be in command unless I say otherwise. Off and on duty I reserve the right to speak to you and question your orders." Senni concluded. "If you can't cope with any part of this then I'll assume operational command."

"Clear as crystal, ma'am." Emma sighed.

Senni held up her hands wearily. "I've given you the ground rules but I don't want to fight with you. Truth be told I like working with new Spectres. So let's stow the titles and move to first names. Fair?"

"I'm sorry, I misconstrued your intent." Emma apologized.

"It's alright Emma." Senni replied as they boarded the elevator. "Now I do have one order for you, you're coming with me down to the wards. I know a nice little place where we can go celebrate your promotion."

Ω

Mid-way through her third Widow Flare Emma remembered that she no longer had to compensate for her implants' ability to process alcohol. The Widow Flares were the signature drink of Senni's 'nice little place' which had turned out to be a rather noisy club tucked away on one of the lower levels of the wards. The clientele consisted mostly of asari and Emma had received more than a few strange or possibly appraising glances from the other patrons. Senni had led them to a booth tuck away at the back.

Emma had been so used to downing hard spirits on the Acheron in quantities that would have killed a normal sentient that she had been midway through her second drink when the alcohol began to hit her system. Just as she had been about to stop drinking Senni had launched into another story about her adventures in Batarian space posing as the wife of a Batarian official. The fact that she had finished her drink and another one had appeared as though by magic had gone unnoticed. It was only when Senni started to ask her questions that Emma started doing a mental inventory.

"So Emma tell me about your time in the Alliance Navy, big damn hero like you must have a few anecdotes." Senni joked.

"Well there was that one time back on the …" Emma paused. She realized that she had been about to regale Senni with one of her stories dating back to the old _Voice of Memory_. Emma's gritted her teeth. The alcohol burned as she downed the remains of her drink.

"Something wrong Emma?" Senni asked solicitously.

"Just a bad memory." Emma replied absently.

"We all have those." Senni commiserated.

Emma motioned for another drink as she fought to keep herself from remembering the _Voice of Memory_ and more specifically _her_.

"You need to dance." Senni opined.

"I don't dance." Emma said flatly.

"Sure you do." Senni laughed as she dragged Emma to the dance floor. Emma allowed herself to be dragged out onto the floor. As soon as she set foot on the dance floor she focused on the music and tried her best to forget about everything else.

After what felt like moments she felt Senni dragging her back to their booth. She looked at Senni uncomprehendingly as the asari led her back to the booth.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked in confusion.

"We've been out there for almost two hours." Senni replied breathlessly. "I can see how you passed your endurance tests."

"Hours?" Emma said with a frown.

"You just seemed so caught up in the movements that I couldn't bring myself to drag you away." Senni added.

Emma sat down with a look of puzzlement. _Another mystery. _A quick check of her internal chronometer revealed Senni had been telling the truth. The fact that she had lost time sent a pang of worry through Emma's body.

"I should be going." She said abruptly as she stood. Senni reached out and gently yanked her back down.

"And leave me to finish this round? I don't think so." Senni chuckled. A waitress appeared with another pair of drinks.

A chill ran down Emma's spin as she picked up the drink that Senni pushed towards her. She took a sip and watched Senni take a pull of her own beverage. With the brief moment of clarity that was born from her nerves Emma remembered her first meeting with Senni. For all the woman's apparent affability she was as dangerous as a viper and just as skilled at the use of poison.

"What's in my drink Senni?" Emma asked.

"Thessian Brandy, Ameri vodka, food colouring and some flavoured liqueur." Senni replied innocently.

Emma's head began to swim from something that was decidedly not alcoholic.

"Oh you mean the three parts of concentrated sydrinol and the old trick of hyoscine." Senni added her expression turning serious. "Lesson one, never drink with someone you just met. Which makes me question why you were so willing to trust me. You aren't stupid and your file says you're very by the book so this entire episode seems wrong."

"You're telling me." Emma murmured.

Senni slid over beside her and lifted the glass up to her lips. "You should have some more."

"Never on a first date." Emma slurred as the alcohol and the drugs began to take hold.

"Still not open to suggestion. Impressive." Senni opined.

"What's your game-plan Vensa? You think I won't remember this? That I'll forgive and forget?" Emma hissed as her feelings shifted from hazy wellbeing to angry betrayal.

"That's exactly what will happen. It's what happened to every other Spectre to go through orientation. Think of this as your polygraph test." Senni explained patiently.

"I don't think this will be good for your health Vensa." Emma slurred.

"Why's that?" Senni asked.

"I might have to kill you if you ask me the wrong question." Emma giggled.

"Be a good girl and drink a bit more." Senni cajoled.

Against her better judgement Emma did so.

"Now let's start with that story you were going to tell me." Senni said as she set the now empty glass down on the table.

"Oh I can't do that. It hasn't happened yet." Emma laughed.

Senni was nonplussed by Emma's rejection. "Something simpler then; what do you think of the Council?"

"Their hands are covered in blood." Emma sighed. "Some of it mine but nowhere near as much as are on mine."

Senni frowned at Emma. "What do you mean about the blood on your hands?"

"Ice melts in fire and watching a world burn is so very hot." Emma answered in a singsong.

"What world?"

"My world. I watched her burn." Emma hiccupped as her face fell.

"You're not making sense." Senni grumbled, obviously displeased at how poorly Emma was taking to the drugs.

As she was about to move away from Emma seized Senni's hand. "You don't want to me to start."

"Let me go." Senni growled.

Emma yanked Senni up against her and whispered in her ear. "Embrace the void Senni."

Telepathy, like most of the unique traits of the galaxy's races, was something that Archon had arrived at in an effort to mesh the right set of variables together to create her perfect successor. That process was done mostly by trial and error but the vulnerability to telepathy was hard coded into every single one of Archon's projects. Giving the asari the ability was relatively simple with the decades of indoctrination research Archon had done. All told there was nothing particularly special about the Asari's ability when measured against that of a Reaper. Even in her weakened and mostly organic state Emma could still worm her way into the minds of others with more ease than a Reaper. On most days it was simply something she chose not to do.

As Emma dragged Senni's consciousness into the depths of her own mind Senni realized at last that fragile human flesh that Emma wore was the linchpin of her identity. Without the flesh and frailty she was as dark and terrible as a maelstrom and with good reason. As the fires of Thessia burned across their joined minds Senni's only thought was of escape and to her surprise Emma released her.

"Don't try to get inside my head Senni." Emma hissed into Senni's ear as she pulled the injector filled with amnesia drugs out of Senni's leg. Senni was about to say something when her world was swallowed up into darkness.

As the adrenaline and anger worked its way out of her system Emma felt her limbs turn to jelly. The exhaustion of pushing her body and mind past their limits and the chemical concoctions Senni had used on her took their toll. Emma slumped against the dozing asari and let herself drift off.

Chapter III

In a flash of emerald confusion Emma was awake. Senni was gone and she was alone in the same booth she had dozed off in the previous evening. Sitting in front of her was a single datapad which Emma casually picked up.

_Emma,_

_Well played. I think that it's a first for the recruit to drug the testing agent_. _I'll see you on the ship_.

_Senni_

Emma snorted with laughter before wincing as felt someone slowly begin to drill an icepick through her skull. It took her a moment to realize that her own laughter had cause the reaction. A sleepy waitress slid a glass of water towards her as she passed Emma's table. As Emma sipped at the water her headache slowly began to recede. Making a quick list of what remained for her to do before shipping out further diminished the pain in her head to the point that it was bearable.

Emma slipped out of the booth and on to her feet with considerably more poise than she would have expected under the circumstances. Before she intended to return to the Normandy there were things she needed to buy most specifically a quantity of osmium. The osmium by dint of its extreme density would provide an excellent base for future nanite construction. In addition to the osmium Emma only needed to acquire a few other elements.

The proprietor of the Baria Frontiers office on the wards had assured Emma that they would be able to meet her order and have it delivered to her ship. The proprietor had been amused by the relatively small quantities that Emma had been asking to buy as well as the fact that she had no corporate ties. For Emma all that had mattered to her was getting the elements. As she was leaving the shop she almost ran into Kaiden.

"Commander, we've been looking for you." Kaiden began breathlessly.

"Well you've found me." Emma replied wryly. "Senni, the Spectre we're going to be working with, took me out to celebrate my promotion."

_And to do a bit of interrogation_. Emma added silently.

"Udina wants you at his office right away. He's sorted out your transportation and you're not going to like it." Kaiden said as he led her towards one of the sky cars.

"Let me guess, he's giving me the Normandy and assigning Andersen to the embassy?" Emma mused out loud.

Kaiden stopped and spun to face her. "How did you know? I only know because I overheard Udina's call to the High Command back in Vancouver."

"Think about it Kaiden, how many Alliance ships are docked at the Citadel right now? Four or five perhaps. How many of those are suitable for infiltration work? One. How likely is it that Andersen is going to be left in command of the ship while I have command of the operation?"

"I suppose you're right." Kaiden conceded. "You just seem to be so in control, like you know every move before it's even going to happen."

"Don't get in any funny ideas Lieutenant. I'm perfectly fallible." Emma sighed.

_You have no idea just how fallible I am_.

Ω

Emma sat through Udina's decision to give her command of the Normandy with barely contained irritation. Everything Udina did was a power play. Every concession was a threat. Emma made all the right noises of sympathy with Andersen and masked anger to Udina but she knew that it would work out for them so it was hard to bring herself to feel genuine emotion.

As the briefing session ended Emma did her best to hurry Kaiden and Ashley back off to the Normandy to get it ready for launch. It was painful for her to continue to keep them at arm's length but the two of them already seemed suspicious of her clairvoyance and the stress of having to come up with convincing explanations for everything that she did was wearing her out. Once she was alone again she headed straight for the C-Sec academy. She had two more allies to bring to her banner.

Wrex was standing fuming by the elevators in the same place she had first met him. Emma ambled by as slowly as possible to give him a good look at her. The sound of thumping footfalls alerted her to the fact that her krogan had swallowed the bait.

"You there, human, I hear you killed Fist." Wrex grumbled.

"You heard correctly." Emma replied evenly.

"Here." Wrex grated as he shoved a credit voucher towards her. "What the Shadow Broker was paying me for killing Fist."

Emma crossed her hands blatantly refusing the money. "I'm surprised to see a mercenary with a code of honour like yours."

"And I'm surprised to find a human who refuses to take free money." Wrex shot back.

"I think that this is part of something more elaborate." Emma mused with a faint smile. "Offering me the money and demonstrating your code of honour is all to the end of joining me in my quest to hunt down Saren."

"Don't stop now human, you're on a roll." Wrex rumbled irritably.

"You'll say that you're just doing out of a desire to prove that there are still honourable Krogan in the galaxy and that's true but," Emma smirked at this next point. "That's all just to get an answer to the question of why Saren suddenly has an army of krogan."

"He hired them obviously." Wrex replied, lying badly.

"Oh no, there's something more to it. How does he field an army of krogan when the krogan people are afflicted with the genophage?" Emma reasoned.

"And you know the answer?" Wrex laughed.

"No, but I think we'll find out together." Emma lied convincingly.

"You've got a quad human. I'll give you that." Wrex chuckled.

"And you are far more than you seem Urdnot Wrex." Emma answered as she extended her hand to the Krogan.

"Very well then Shepard. I'll follow you, you clever human." Wrex grabbed her hand in a bone crunching grip and grinned toothily when Emma winced at the pressure.

"We've got one more person to find and then we can leave. A C-Sec officer with a score to settle." Emma added as she and Wrex set off into the Wards.

One sojourn to an out of the medical clinic on in the back of the wards and Emma found herself gifted with the services of her old friend Garrus Vakarian. It hadn't taken too much convincing after she had told him they were going after Saren although if she was honest her 'prior' knowledge didn't really hurt.

Stepping back aboard the Normandy Emma felt more than ready to put the Citadel behind her. The cockpit glowed with a warm orange light as she arrived to supervise the undocking procedure.

"So Commander I heard that Captain Andersen's been left on the beach." Joker remarked.

"He deserved better than being yanked off the line right before the beginning of the campaign." Emma replied with a sigh.

"Military life huh?" Joker continued.

"Politics." Emma corrected. "This was Udina."

"No pressure then." Joker laughed. "Do you want to say anything to the crew before we leave port?"

"1MC Joker." Emma ordered. "Crew of the Normandy, this is Commander Shepard. We have our orders from the council. I intend to take us to Therum to begin our search for Saren. We are the finest ship and crew in the Alliance Navy and I have confidence in each of you to do your utmost. Trust in yourselves, trust your crewmates and I promise you we will stop Saren. That is all."

"Short and to the point Commander?" Joker remarked. "So Therum?"

"Therum it is. Quick and quiet Flight Lieutenant." Emma replied as she left the cockpit.

Walking back to the stern she sized up her crew and the effect of her short speech. Most of them seemed eager for a fight and she couldn't really blame them. The entire cruise would be characterized by success after success. The only frustration would be the number of times that they would come so close to Saren only to have him elude them. Emma let a small smile play across her features as she walked back to her quarters.

_We're off to a smooth start. Maybe. Just maybe I can make this time better._

As she stepped into her quarters Emma quickly locked the door. She had one final piece of business to take care before she could relax for the rest of the trip. It was a particularly pernicious and painful piece of business that took the form of the spherical orb of the Quietus. After her temporal relocation Emma understood the principle of the device with a much greater degree of clarity than she had when Archon had first given it to her. The device served as a terminal to grant her access to a compendium of records that Archon had been storing on a dead world since the before even her species had first crawled out of the muck of its primordial oceans. Contained within were the records of every cycle but in the end they would do little to aid Emma in tearing down the whole system. The other problem was that the device had buried itself in her own body meaning that she had to tediously extract it and recompile it. It was not an experience she was going to relish.

Holding her palm upraised on her desk Emma took a deep breath before ordering the Quietus to constitute itself. For several long moments nothing happened then Emma felt a slight tingling sensation in her hand. Looking down she watch as small golden helix of dust motes began to rise from her hand. The tingling slowly morphed into a burning pain that grew in intensity the longer it persisted. Emma slowly and deliberately bit into her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out. The entire room was soon bathed in the golden glow of the active nanites. Emma had to use her free hand to hold her arm down as she desperately wanted to clutch it closed. Just as Emma thought she wouldn't be able to take any more the pain was gone leaving only the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. Letting out a raspy sigh she stared at the golden orb sitting on her desk before her. With an angry wave of her hand she commanded the orb to open as she went to get a drink of water.

"Hello Emma." A familiar voice began. Emma dropped the glass she had been holding as she spun to confront the orb.

A small projection of Sira stood in the centre of the unfurled Quietus. The AI's avatar looked haggard and depressed as it looked back at her. "Before you start cursing at me you should know that this is only a recording."

Emma smiled bitterly at the projection but remained quiet at the image continued.

"I've recorded this message to apologize. I'm sorry that I couldn't be stronger and go against my programming to give you the peace that you desperately desired. I did the only thing I could and bent my core directives to give you a chance – a chance to change things for the better. I used the Eden Prime Incident as the integration point because it was the first time that you came into contact with technology that was monitored and networked to the Reapers. This gives you the best chance to stop Archon and these endless cycles." Sira paused and seemed to consider Emma for several seconds. "I cannot presume to tell you how act or what strategy to follow. I can offer only one piece of advice – don't cut yourself off everyone just so that you don't get hurt again."

"You would know about that Sira wouldn't you, after what you did to Miranda." Emma spat at the hologram.

"I leave myself in your hands Emma. I left a copy of all memories, my personality, everything I am in your Quietus. You can leave me in limbo, decompile me, or bring me back. The choice is yours. I wish you the best of luck Emma." Sira's projection bowed and then flickered out of existence.

Emma let out a sigh before she give voice to her thoughts. "I need you too much Sira. No matter how you went about doing this I have to thank you for doing what you could."

Silence was Emma's only answer. Letting out another sigh Emma flopped down on her bed and let herself fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

Ω

Emma groggily blinked herself back to wakefulness as a soft chiming from her door interrupted her sleep. Pulling herself out of bed with a curse Emma stumbled through the darkness of her quarters to her door. Palming the door open she found Kaiden standing before her.

"Rough night Commander?" Kaiden quipped.

"How long have I been out?" Emma asked.

"You haven't missed your duty shifts if that's what you're worried about Commander. I just wanted to let you know that Joker is bringing us up on Therum. We should reach orbit in about 3 hours." Kaiden reported. Kaiden paused before he considered her for a moment. "Is everything alright Commander?"

"Fine Lieutenant." Emma replied steadily. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Well if you ever need anything Commander you know where you can find me." Kaiden said before leaving her.

_This situation bears watching_. Emma thought worriedly. _It's like they know something isn't quite right._

After a quick clean up Emma headed for the mess hall and was unsurprised to find both Kaiden and Ashley having breakfast. As Emma collected her meal from the dispenser she could practically feel their eyes boring into her back.

As she sat down they both made small talk with her in an effort to keep the meal innocent.

"So Commander are you sure about having so many different," Ashely paused "People on board the ship?"

_I had almost forgotten how narrow minded and suspicious you were at the beginning._ Emma was almost tempted to blurt out what she was thinking but wisely kept her mouth shut. _Then again you had every reason for it._

"I have considered the risks associated but I have faith in everyone that I've recruited." Emma replied calmly.

"I'm sure you know what you're doing Commander." Kaiden interposed. "So where are we headed if you don't mind my asking?"

"Therum." Emma answered. The name of the planet was a enough to cause her stomach to knot in anxiety.

"Therum seems to be a bit of a long shot Commander. Going after the daughter of one of Saren's followers doesn't seem like much of a lead what with a colony going dark and a sighting of Saren on Noveria." Kaiden opined, trying his best to remain neutral.

"We have precious little information to go on at this point and we need any insight into Saren's operation that we can find. The younger T'soni should be able to give us that and I don't intend to let this opportunity slip through my fingers." Emma explained.

"A wise combatant gathers intelligence before plunging headlong into battle." Garrus opined as he entered the mess hall. "Was I interrupting something?"

Emma couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been eavesdropping before making his entrance. It had been her experience that Garrus left very little to chance making him cocky when he was in his element and awkward when he was dragged out of his comfort zone.

"Nothing terribly important." Emma


End file.
